Bright yellow color; lemon, white flowers on the nose; apricot, pineapple, white peach, apple, lemon on the palate.
Creamy in the mouth, smooth texture, subtle oak (one-third fermented in used oak barrels, two-thirds in stainless steel), some complexity from eight months sitting on the lees in French oak barrels, some acidity (3.65 pH), but the emphasis is on smoothness here. Clean, easy drinking, straightforward Central Coast chardonnay, very nice value.
Edna Valley Vineyard lies on the coastline about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco near San Luis Obispo, and the winery’s tasting room is a must-visit in the city. Although wine production in the region dates back to Gold Rush days, the current operation’s roots trace to vineyard developer Jack Niven in the 1970s. The winery aims to offer a true expression of California Central Coast terroir paired with quality and value; Edna Valley consistently succeeds in this effort.
Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast Chardonnay is a tasty, mainstream, Central Coast slightly oaked, very clean and versatile effort at an excellent price point. $12-15
Second photo: Edna Valley vineyard
