Kalin Cellars Cuvee W Livermore Valley Chardonnay, California, USA 1999

Kalin Cellars’ Cuvée W 1999 is a remarkable piece of California wine history and one of the most compelling arguments for aging California Chardonnay. Made from Old Wente clone Chardonnay at the historic Wente Estate Vineyard in Livermore Valley, this is mature Chardonnay in the old-school sense: dried citrus, lemon oil, baked apple, toasted hazelnut, beeswax, honey and brioche wrapped around a core of extraordinary acidity and mineral tension. Kalin held these wines back for years before release, and the 1999 has now entered that magical stage where fruit gives way to layers of savory, nutty and tertiary complexity without losing its freshness. For Burgundy lovers and collectors of mature California wine, this is a seriously special bottle and a fascinating reminder of just how long great California Chardonnay can live.