Shiny golden color; green apple, citrus nose; light body with citrus, lemon, green apple, peach on the palate.
Nice acidity, restrained oak and malo, but pleasantly creamy and easy drinking; fine fruitiness with the citrusy, pleasing mouthfeel characteristic of Central Coast chards. The wine spent time on its lees, giving it a nice depth and complexity for this price point.
Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards gets its name from wild mustangs that roamed the hills east of the vineyard in Spanish colonial times. Winery website explains: “Wild Horse Winery founder, Ken Volk, originally selected the Templeton vineyard and winery location in 1981 for its low vigor soils, proven ground water table, proximity to Estero Bay and rural atmosphere. Situated at a midpoint in the Central Coast, this location is ideal for sourcing fruit from vineyards north and south of the winery. Wild Horse Winery remains a champion of Central Coast winegrowing, committed to sustainable viticultural practices and creating fine wines that express the region’s diversity.”
The Central Coast AVA stretches from Santa Barbara County north to San Francisco Bay, over six counties and some 100,000 acres of wine grapes. Located west of the San Joaquin Valley, the Central Coast includes many notable sub-AVA’s—Paso Robles (where Wild Horse winery is located), Santa Barbara, Monterrey, Santa Cruz are just some. The region makes great wines in the $12-20 range, staples for folks moving up from bottom shelf to mid-level pours. Typically, Central Coast pours are consistently tasty, fun-to-drink, dependable values. This chardonnay perfectly fits the profile. $16
Wild Horse Winery website
Second photo: Map of Central Coast AVA
