2019 Diana’s Chardonnay

“Year in and year out, Testarossa’s Diana’s Chardonnay has proven to be among the cream of the crop and gets the nod as our favorite Chardonnay of the year.” January 2021

“We feel compelled to point out each year that this wine’s simple designation as having been grown in California is more than a little misleading, as Testarossa’s Diana’s bottlings are flagship Chardonnays drawn from the winery’s very finest lots, and the 2018 version is everything that a “reserve” offering should be. It is as complex as it is deep and impeccably balanced with up-front richness to spare yet is also a wine that continues to reveal more and more with each successive sniff and sip. Drink it now, if you will, and there are plenty of reasons to do so, but it has more in store for those who are willing to opt for patient cellaring and will increasingly attest to that fact as the next half-dozen years come and go.”

 “Do not be misled by this one’s designation of origin simply as California, for it is, in fact, Testarossa’s flagship Chardonnay made from a selection of the winery’s best lots and is, in every way, a wine of great stature and depth. It is enormously fruity, beautifully proportioned and decked out with especially lovely oak, and all of its many parts combine in an uncommonly seamless whole. From its complexity and richness to its impeccable balance, it is the stuff of which serious Chardonnay is made, and, while certain to age gracefully for years, it is so satisfying now that impatient drinking cannot be condemned.”

“Golden color; smooth and rich, juicy and elegant; toasty, ripe and lovely; balanced and racy, subtle and long”

Anthony Dias Blue
June 2018

“With a wonderfully gregarious, multilayered nose of guava, pineapple, ripe peaches and pink grapefruit plus supporting notions of spice box, candied ginger and toasted nuts, the medium-bodied 2015 Chardonnay Diana’s is tightly wound in the mouth, offering glimpses at the many tropical and savory layers, finishing long and vibrant.”

Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
September 2017

“The winery’s best-barrel bottling of Chardonnay, this excels on all fronts, showing lemon peels, browned butter, creamy lily and pan-seared apples on the light, crisp yet savory nose. The mouthfeel is rich but decorated with zesty line of salty acidity that cuts through the lemon-curd flavors. Altogether mouthwatering, it’s perfect for a seaside meal.”

Matt Kettman
Wine Enthusiast
November 2016

“An 8-12 barrel selection, the 2013 Chardonnay Diana’s Reserve is up with the crème de la crème from the vintage. Possessing similar aromatics to the Fogstone Vineyard release, with beautiful lemon rind, citrus blossom, honeysuckle and hints of toasted bread, it’s medium-bodied, firm and crisp on the palate, with fabulous purity and precision. This is pure class, and I suspect will drink nicely for at least another 7-8 years.”

Jeb Dunnuck
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“Made from the best eight barrels in the winery, the 2012 Chardonnay Diana’s Reserve (100% Chardonnay aged 11.5 months in 42% new French oak) has a ripe, textured and decadent style to go with classy citrus blossom, ripe orchard fruits, white flowers and crème brûlée-like aromas and flavors. Like all of the Chardonnays from this estate, this beauty has notable freshness and purity, good concentration and plenty of length on the finish. It will deliver the goods for 3-4 years.”

Jeb Dunnuck
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
October 2014

“The top wine of the estate and made from a selection of top barrels, the 2011 Chardonnay Diana’s is a stunner. Offering up lively, pure notes of mineral, marzipan and golden fruits, it flows onto the palate with rich, full, mid-palate, beautifully integrated acidity and superb focus on the finish. It should continue to impress through 2018. Drink now-2018. Founded in 1993 by Rob and Diana Jensen, with the wines made by Bill Brosseau, Testarossa Winery is located just outside of Los Gatos (just south of San Jose) and pulls grapes from a star-studded cast of vineyards throughout the central coast. All of the wines have beautiful purity of fruit and classical, perfectly made profiles. They also remain reasonably priced given the quality.”

Jeb Dunnuck
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
August 2013

“Layers of fruit wrap around the palate with gorgeous richness and density in the 2010 Chardonnay Diana’s, a selection of the best barrels of Chardonnay in the cellar. Clean underlying mineral notes and sweet, perfumed aromatics round out the Diana’s in all directions. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018”

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
August 2012

“Diana’s is Testarossa’s best barrel blend from its various vineyards from around the coast, hence the California appellation. It’s certainly ultrarich, almost decadent, with the apricot, pear and honey sweetness of a late-harvest dessert wine. Yet its thoroughly dry, and finishes with clean, minerally acidity. Deserves its reserve-level price.”

Steve Heimoff
Wine Enthusiast

“A best-of-barrels selection from the winery’s various vineyards, this is a lush, intricate Chardonnay made in the modern style. It’s fantastically rich in pineapple tart flavors, with the sweet, smoky crust, and more acidic citrus notes of Meyer lemons and limes. Oak aging and lees add fortunate layers of buttered toast and cream. Very intricate, with Chablisian dryness and minerality. Now–2014.”

Steve Heimoff
Wine Enthusiast

“This is a blend of Testarossa’s far-flung vineyards across California, hence the statewide appellation. It’s extraordinarily rich and explosive in apricots, pineapples, guavas, nectarines, buttered toast and smoky, caramelized oak. So muscular that you might want to age it for a year or two, to let it calm down.”

Steve Heimoff
Wine Enthusiast

“Rich and ripe in the Testarossa style, and delightfully outgoing, this full-bodied effort is loaded with bright apple and citrus fruit aromas and while it has been steeped in very fancy oak barrels, it does not sell itself to that oak and instead comes across as full of balanced, attractive personality. It also carries a lighter, almost candied edge that is not so evident in most of the winery’s other offerings reviewed here.”

Charles Olken & Steve Elliot
Connoisseur’s Guide
February 2008

“Firm and focused, with lots of intense, complex flavors built around green apple, nectarine and light toasty oak. Folds together nicely on the finish, where the flavors are both layered and delicate. Drink now through 2011. 297 cases made.”

James Laube
Wine Spectator

“Shows the richness and complexity of all Testarossa’s Chardonnays, with masses of tropical fruit and oak flavors balanced by zesty acidity. But this wine, with a statewide appellation, has a mouthwatering minerality, a zesty tang of steel, that gives the wine extra layers. What a delicious, exciting Chardonnay.”

Steve Heimoff
Wine Enthusiast

“The 2003 Chardonnay Diana’s Reserve is a complex, elegant, restrained yet well-layered, concentrated offering. It possesses medium to full body, notes of tangerines, honeyed citrus, white peaches, and pineapple, good underlying acidity, a judicious touch of wood, and a long finish. Enjoy this complex, complete Chardonnay over the next 3-4 years.”

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
August 2005