2021 Chardonnay, Mendocino
92 Points. “This is Navarro’s bright and breezy Chardonnay, made for fans of oaky character that runs up to the line but doesn’t go over the top. Baked apple and wood spice are firing on all cylinders, but bracing acidity keeps things well knit together. I’m leaning toward saucy seafood as a pairing for this.” —Rich Cook, Wine Review Online
90 Points. “Delicate aromas waft out of the glass, including green apple, lemon, lime and baby's breath. Though the nose is a bit shy, the palate is more assertive. It layers on additional flavors of grassy earthiness and a wet-stone minerality, adding nuanced complexity to this light white wine. Elevated acidity gives a beautiful midpalate lift and allows for a lingering finish.”
—Stacy Briscoe, Wine Enthusiast
2017 Mendocino Chardonnay
"This fresh-tasting wine from one of Mendocino's most reliable wineries has vivid apple and pear aromas, ripe and fruity flavors and very little oakiness to get in the way. A bit on the soft side in texture, it's easy to sip." Wine Enthusiast magazine
"A favorite producer of mine, and a severely underrated Chardonnay maker at that. This is their mid-line offering, but there’s nothing middling about it. Balanced citrus, peach and apple aromas and flavors show off the region, and ride a wave of freshening acidity through a long finish where a subtle kiss of oak spice pops nicely. Eminently quaffable!" WineReviewOnline.com
2015 Mendocino Chardonnay
This is a sturdy straightforward wine with good balance between medium body and lively acidity, while showing mild apple and citrus Flavors. Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast, November 1, 2017.
Strong all around, but especially on palate with forward, well-balanced fruit, light oak and notable integration. John Vankat, Arizona Daily Sun, July 13, 2017.
2014 Mendocino Chardonnay
Fruity and buttery aromas join pear and baking-spice flavors to create plenty to enjoy from this medium bodied and soft-textured wine. Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast, August , 2016.
2013 Mendocino Chardonnay
It’s easy to appreciate the buttery aromas, vivid and tangy fruit like crisp apples and Bosc pears, and lively texture with appetizing acidity, elegance and raciness. It’s not a big wine but a finely detailed one. Jim Gordon, Wine Enthusiast, December 1, 2015.
2012 Mendocino Chardonnay
This white gold colored Chardonnay is very good. It opens with a
fragrant pear bouquet with hints of honey, oak and lemon. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, acidic and crisp. The flavor profile is a pear and oak blend with notes of lemon butter. The finish is dry and its flavors are nicely prolonged. This Chardonnay is food friendly and would pair well with a chicken and wild mushroom ravioli with a light cream sauce. EnjoyKen Hoggins,www.KensWineGuide.com, March 14, 2015.
2010 Mendocino Chardonnay
In the past, the winery made a Mendocino appellation
Chardonnay from a mix of Anderson Valley and Potter Valley fruit. But in 2010, all of the fruit is sourced from the Anderson Valley. This is fleshy, soft
and lush, bearing grapefruit and fig flavors that are wrapped in a tightly focused package with a bright finish. Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast, March 1, 2013.
2009 Mendocino Chardonnay
One of two chardonnays it makes, the Mendocino bottling has grapes from both the cool Anderson Valley and the warmer Potter Valley. Stainless-steel-fermented, this wine has an array of green apple, pear, mango and citrus fruits
with a crisp backbone of acidity.Pamela S. Busch,San Francisco Examiner, July 21, 2011.
2008 Mendocino Chardonnay
This pale yellow colored Chard is a very nice offering from Navarro. It
opens with a mild green apple bouquet. On the palate, this wine is light bodied, balanced, and easy to drink. The flavor profile is a gentle green pear with a touch of lemon. The finish is dry and quite refreshing. This is a food friendly Chard that would pair well with lemon thyme chicken off the grill. Try some this summer. Enjoy - Ken Ken Hoggins,www.KensWineGuide.com, July 9, 2010.
2007 Mendocino Chardonnay
Aged is older French oak and has a nose of apple custard. Flavors of mostly lemon and apple are light bodied and fresh with a hint of sweetness. The medium-broad, medium-long finish adds light spice at the sides. Well done and a Good Value.Harold Baer, www.haroldbaerwine.com, February 8, 2011.
2006 Mendocino Chardonnay
A very nice Chard that, at seven bucks less than the winery's Premier Reserve, is nearly as good. Dry and crisp in acidity, it has rich honey, pineapple and smoke flavors. How can a wine taste like honey and be dry? It's called magic Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, November 15, 2008.
2005 Mendocino Chardonnay
Fresh earth, mineral and lemony citrus scents are crisp and vibrant, with a pippin apple flavor adding dimension. Clean, refreshing and focused on the finish. - James Laube, Wine Spectator, December 31, 2007.
2002 Mendocino Chardonnay
A rich, spicy wine, with tangerine, nectarine and ripe pear flavors that are clean and refreshing, ending in a flash of citrus. Drink now. - James Laube, Wine Spectator, December 15, 2004.
The 2002 Chardonnay is a refreshing change of pace from the oaky, buttery school of wine making. It has fine fruit, with a creamy and appley nose, good acidity and a very light body. - Leonard Maran, San Francisco Spectrum, July 2004.
2001 Mendocino Chardonnay
Sweet and smoky, this raspy chardonnay has the flavor of a grilled peach. Under the toastiness, there’s a green edge, like a fresh sugar snap pea. Chill it for salmon. - Wine & Spirits, "American New Releases", December 2003.
Smart Buy – An excellent value in a pure, fruit-driven style. Fragrant, with citrus blossom, cedar and pear aromas, and a tight, creamy core of lemon, fig and nectarine flavors that are rich, elegant and lively. Drink now through 2006. - Wine Spectator, "New Releases", December 15, 2003.
Apple sauce scents introduce this simple, pleasant chardonnay, its juicy fruit balanced by a prickle of acidity. For the cocktail hour. - Wine & Spirits, "Chardonnay New Releases", April 2003.
![[below]](/images/buttons/arrow_down.gif){kind=icon}
The X block is planted to four different "Dijon" clones trained on a Lyre trellis. The Lyre was developed in France to maximize solar efficiency and improve ripening. In each French appellation, laws specify how the vines are to be trained. Bureaucracies move slowly and unfortunately the Lyre is not an "appellation approved" trellis in France. French wine produced from Lyre-grown grapes cannot be labeled with the appellation, thus reducing the price. It's no surprise that there are more Lyre trellises in use in California than in all of France.
![[above]](/images/buttons/arrow_up.gif){kind=icon}
Sarah rating Chardonnay in a morning staff tasting. In April we taste all of the various Chardonnay lots assessing their aroma-flavor profile and overall quality. During the first blind tasting, when we are trying to assemble a cuvée, the most outstanding lot becomes the base wine; we then add varying amounts of a second wine with an aroma-flavor profile that could make the base wine more complete and better balanced. The winning wine becomes the base wine for the next tasting where we try to blend in some of another lot. This continues until we cannot improve upon the base wine.