Wine Enthusiast:  Rated as Excellent, extremely well made and highly recommended. "Displays good terroir qualities of extraordinary ripeness, spiciness and crisp, cool-climate acidity. Just beautiful, with exotic flavors of grilled pineapples, honeysuckle, lemondrop, cinnamon and buttered toast." Oct 2009

Winery:  "Immediate impressions of lemon curd and orange blossom are followed by aromas of hazelnut, allspice and Meyer lemon. On the palate, the wine is sleek and refined, with a lithe texture and mouthwatering acidity. Flavors of citrus--lemon rind, tangelo and lemongrass--echo the aromatic impressions of this Chardonnay, creating seamless wine, at once powerful and impeccably balanced. Chardonnays from the Dierberg Vineyard are characterized by their strong impression of acidity and by a finish that lingers for nearly a minute on the palate. They are among the rare Californian Chardonnays that will gracefully improve with age for 5 years, or more."

Wired For Wine:  Holy delicious winelovers; wait till you taste this powerful, impeccably balanced Chardonnay!  This Dierberg Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay is firm and flinty, crisply acidic, with exotic fruit flavors and a mineral edge that will leave you wanting more.  Pour your first cool glasses to go with bite-sized crab cakes and a mustard aioli.  White bean and rock shrimp crostini will work well too.  The gorgeous fruit and citrus flavors, lovely spice notes and sleek toast of this California Chardonnay are perfect for chicken, some pork, and most any fish and seafood; vegetables and herbs pair beautifully with it too.  We suggest a first course of pumpkin ravioli with brown butter sauce and fresh sage.  The firm acidity of this Dierberg white is heavenly opposite a rich, buttery (or creamy for that matter) sauce.  The honeysuckle and grilled pineapple nuances in this Santa Maria Chardonnay balance well against a gentle amount of heat so we love it with spicy chicken in butter lettuce wraps.  A little more grownup would be a dried fruit-stuffed pork loin with a white wine, butter sauce.  After you've made your choices and no doubt fully enjoyed them, open another bottle to go with the hints of farm flowers found in a creamy French Abbey de Tamie cheese.  As Louis Pasteur once said, "Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages."  Let's get healthy winelovers!! 

Size:  750ml
Varietal:  100% Chardonnay
Alcohol:  14.1%
Ageing:   16 months in 40% new French oak
Region:   Santa Maria, Central Coast (Santa Barbara County), California
Production:  2,300 dozen