Eden Rift Chardonnay Reserve Cienega Valley 2019

Add 6 bottles to the cart and receive an additional 50% off!

California’s oldest continuously planted vineyard brings something undeniably special our way today – a luscious, creamy, mineral-laced 94 POINT coastal Cali Chardonnay, simply percolating with zippy acidity, toasty nuttiness, and orchard fruits galore. Grab a few for under $40 – or better yet, opt for a 6-pack to unlock pricing under $20 a bottle!

The team at Eden Rift is led by Cory Waller, who was raised a few miles from the estate. He was previously assistant winemaker at the iconic Calera, a spot we all know and love in the hills of California’s Central Coast, right outside Monterey Bay. Just two miles away from Eden Rift, Calera changed the game for this little-known region outside of Monterey – discovering that both the terroir and climate were almost Burgundy-esque in terms of growing top-notch Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Now, Eden Rift is following suit and crafting some of the most spectacular expressions of these varieties that could easily outpace wines triple the price.

Cory favors fruit from vines that struggle, and in the cellar, he leans toward native yeasts and neutral vessels. For him, getting the voice of the vineyard into the bottle is an urgent and achievable mission – not a platitude. He headed up the winemaking in 2016, after Christian Pillsbury acquired the estate and filled out his buzzing team with young and ambitious wine industry folks – but the vineyard has actually been around since 1849. Theophile Vache planted the 120-acre estate initially, perched on the hills along the San Andreas Faultline in the Cienega Valley AVA. Early vintners focused on some of the first Pinot Noir plantings in California, sown on Eden Rift’s limestone and dolomite-packed land in 1860 – but both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were somewhat forgotten on the property after prohibition until Christian and his team swept in a few years back, producing some bonkers-level delicious wines ever since.

Seriously, this is on track with some of those cult-y, allocation-only Cali Chardonnays like Kistler, Aubert, and Ramey – for as low as $19.98 when you order 6?! Pinch me! An amalgamation of salty almonds, and lemon cream, and grilled orange, and caramelized apples, with undercurrents of lively, citrusy acidity and chalky minerality – this is fleshy and creamy and oh-so indulgent and seductive. The only wrong call is to miss out, so do what you must to bring some of this enchanting, golden elixir home!

PAIRING IDEAS: The briny, hearty elements of seafood bouillabaisse with some fresh, crusty bread is the dreamiest of duos alongside this rich Cali Chardonnay! Try this one based on Julia Child’s recipe.