INCLUDES: WHERE TO DRINK NOW IN LOS ANGELES RECIPES FROM LA DRINKMAKERS WHAT & WHERE LA CHEFS DRINK taste test California’s golden grape is making the most of its second act. 2013 Matthiasson 2013 Hanzell 2012 Sandhi Linda Vista Sebella Sanford & Going Back Chardonnay Chardonnay Benedict $29, astorwines.com $36, hanzell.com Chardonnay $55, sandhiwines.com to Cali In 2011, Steve and Jill Legendary Sonoma California Chardonnay’s meteoric rise to Matthiasson leased winery Hanzell Founded by Linda Vista vineyard—a creates their “Sebella” popularity in the 1980s was perhaps its sommelier Rajat Parr, small vineyard behind Chardonnay using along with Charles undoing. Starting in the late ’70s, a few large their 1905 Napa Valley fruit from young Banks (formerly of wineries carved out a niche built around farmhouse—and began vines, the fruit from Screaming Eagle) and Burgundy’s most famous white-wine grape, making this spicy, which will one day winemaker Sashi woodsy wine. Te make their way into and they successfully sold American wine Moorman, this Matthiasson label their much more small-production drinkers on a lifestyle that involved lots of has gained a lot of expensive fagship winery has buttery Chardonnay. For nearly a decade, caché since then, Chardonnay. serious pedigree our thirst was insatiable, and wineries were but we love that Fermented in and wines to happy to release bottle after heavily-oaked they’re committed stainless steel match, like this to keeping their and aged in easy-drinking bottle. But as trends shift, so do tastes, wines (at least neutral oak, the Chardonnay. and by the early 2000s, Chardonnay had some of them) wine ofers Grapes experienced a sharp fall from grace. afordable and a foral, from Santa Today, however, a growing number of accessible. honeyed Barbara’s bouquet winemakers are creating expressive, storied that carries Sanford & complex (and, in some cases, unoaked) over to the Benedict Chardonnays that are giving the grape’s palate. vineyard yield tarnished reputation a glossy new sheen. a splurge- Here are seven of our favorites. worthy bottle. 2013 Chanin Los 2013 Le P’tit 2013 Pence Ranch 2011 Albatross Alamos Vineyard Paysan Jack’s Hill Chardonnay Ridge Bowlus Chardonnay Chardonnay $36, penceranch.com Estate $35, chaninwine.com $22, lppwines.com Chardonnay Nestled within a 200-acre $55, albatrossridge.com By the age of 21, Ian Brand has logged many working ranch in western winemaker Gavin Chanin, hours seeking out—and Santa Barbara County lies Blair Pence’s passion Farming Pinot Noir having already worked fnding—forgotten, hidden and Chardonnay on a four harvest seasons at vineyards in misty-cool project—his vineyards. Born out of a lifelong love afair steep ridge in Carmel, California’s well-known Monterey, where he winemaker Garrett Au Bon Climat, set out makes his delicious (and with the wines of Burgundy, Pence partnered with Bowlus set out to create to found his own wine afordable) mineral- low-intervention label. Known for forward wines. Picked Sashi Moorman (also of Sandhi) to make wines wines that speak to harvesting his grapes early and fermented their ocean-kissed on the early side to in a combination of that express California terrior. In his 2013 Pence location and to the keep the alcohol stainless steel and clay-rich soil in which down and the acidity neutral oak, his Jack’s Ranch Chardonnay, fruit permeates, the grapes grow. Tis up, Chanin’s wines Hill Chardonnay is bottling opens with deliver a pleasant the least classic especially on the fnish, with a tangy a whif of sweet, rose petal– of the bunch, tropical papaya infused balance delivering a perfume of ripe nectarines. and unfolds into of acid and bright, light, a soft, mellow oak on the lemony punch. wine that has an palate. addictive coastal lightness and just a touch of creaminess. 28 imbibemagazine.com ~ march/april 2015.