2017 Sierra Madre Vineyard Chardonnay
Santa Maria Valley AVA
Tasting Notes
“Rich yellow hue. Abundant scents of honeydew, mango, butterscotch, papaya and pineapple. These characters segue seamlessly into the palate and are intensified by vibrant acidity. While the acidity is brisk, the texture is polished, smooth, and rich. Showing great density and brightness on the finish, this Chardonnay’s best days are still ahead. Enjoy now through 2027”
~Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
“Shimmering yellow. Delivers an array of ripe tropical and pit fruit scents, along with hints of pungent flowers, marzipan and lemon curd. Fleshy and broad in the mouth, offering juicy nectarine, pineapple and honeydew melon flavors supported by a building mineral element. A smoky nuance appears on the long, smooth finish, which echoes the floral and pit fruit notes.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni Vinous
November 2019
Production Data
Growers: Circle Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley AVA
Barrel Ageing: 15 months
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, 28% new
Production: 16 barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: 7.58 g/L – 3.28 pH
Alcohol: 14.2%
Harvest: September 6, 2017
Club Release: February 13, 2019
Release Price: $51
Drink Now through 2027
Past Vintage Wine Scores
“The 2016 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard opens minerally with scents of flint, wet stone, hay and earth plus baked apple, honey toast, pie crust, lemon cream and honeysuckle. The palate is medium-bodied and savory in character, a bit more rustic in profile than the Sanford & Benedict or Sta. Rita Hills bottlings, with juicy acidity and a long, apple-laced finish. 423 cases produced.”
Erin Brooks
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Bright, green-tinged gold. Ripe melon, tangerine, peach nectar, honey and jasmine on the deeply perfumed nose. Plush and seamless in the mouth, offers juicy, oak-spiced honeydew melon and pit fruit flavors with a refreshing, bitter orange zest nuance that builds with air. Ample and broad, finishes with very good tangy cut and subtly smoky persistence.”
Josh Reynolds
Antonio Galloni Vinous
November 2017
“This wine from a historic vineyard is hard to put down. It combines flint, pencil lead, smoked wood, chopped chives, sweet onion, crushed limestone and a touch of white pepper on the stonefruit-based nose. A strong toast and brioche character carries the sip, touching on white sesame, graphite and even shaved parmesan. It’s savory, tangy and addictive.”
MK
Wine Enthusiast
November 2016
“This Chardonnay from the outstanding Sierra Madre Vineyard is very rich, pure and intensely flavored. Burgundian in character with richness of fruit and toasted oak, it is beautifully integrated and elegantly presented with perfect acidity and a crisp finale. A gorgeous wine.”
International Wine Review
My favorite of the whites, the 2012 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills) has gorgeous tropical fruits, white flowers, mint and salty mineral-like aromas and flavors that continue to develop in the glass. Spending 11 months in 21% new French oak, it has medium-bodied richness, notable freshness and a clean, nicely focused finish. It’s a superb Chardonnay that has both richness and freshness, and it will drink nicely for 3-4 years.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Starting out the whites and a gorgeous Chardonnay, the 2011 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard, which spent 10 months in new French oak, shows fantastic varietal typicity with its ripe apple, brioche, white flowers and underlying minerality emerging on both the nose and palate. Rich and full, yet also lightly textured and possessing fantastic purity, it is a downright classy white that will age gracefully through 2019+. Drink now-2019.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
August 2013
The Sierra Madre Vineyard
The Sierra Madre Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley is owned by Doug and Jan Circle. It sits at 215 ft. above sea level and consists of 155 acres, 91 of Chardonnay and 64 of Pinot Noir. It is the most northern and one of the western-most vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley, only 15 miles from the coast, and benefits greatly from its unique marine influence. It is also one of the few valleys in the state that run East/West as opposed to North/South.
An exceptionally cool growing season encourages slow ripening over a long period of time, allowing for the development of structure and flavor intensity.
Past Vintages
Wine Production Data
Tasting Notes
“Medium yellow hue. Scents of ripe pineapple, mango, banana, passionfruit pair nicely with notes of papaya, apricot, cloves, nutmeg and apple pie. Upon taste, tropical elements of pineapple and passionfruit stand out along with an infusion of grapefruit. Brisk acidity yet creamy richness give way to a pleasing texture. This Chardonnay finishes with brightness, minerality, and an extended finish. Enjoy now through 2026.”
~ Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
Production Data
Growers: Circle Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley AVA
Barrel Aging: 14 months
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, 33% new
Production: 17 barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: 8.19 g/L – 3.25 pH
Alcohol: 14.2%
Harvest: September 2, 2016
Club Release: March 7, 2018
Drink Now through 2026
Tasting Notes
“Medium yellow color. Nice aromas of passionfruit, pineapple, vanilla bean, and kiwi, followed by mango, coconut, papaya, and lime. Upon taste, flavors of kiwi, lime, pineapple, and passionfruit persist. The texture is vibrant with brisk and zesty acidity. While there is some youthful tension in the palate, in unravels in the finish with freshness and complex nuances. Enjoy now through 2025.”
~ Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
Production Data
Growers: Circle Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley AVA
Barrel Aging: 11.5 months
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, 38% new
Production: 13 barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: 7.38 g/L – 3.29 pH
Alcohol: 14.2 %
Harvest: August 25, 2015
Club Release: August 9, 2017
Drink Now through 2025
Tasting Notes
“Medium yellow hue. Distinctive scents of key lime pie, butterscotch, ripe fig, passion fruit, lemon, and mango. This lively profile sails nicely into a pure palate of citrus and tropical fruits. This Chardonnay exhibits zesty acidity and great polish in the mouthfeel. The finish is well focused, bright, and lingering. Enjoy now through 2025.”
~ Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
Production Data
Growers: Circle Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley AVA
Barrel Aging: 11 months
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, 25% new
Production: 20 barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: 7.68 g/L – 3.25 pH
Alcohol: 14.6 %
Harvest: August 28, 2014
Club Release:
Drink Now through 2025
Tasting Notes
“Medium yellow color. Intense aromas of mango, coconut, kiwi, peach, and ripe fig lead this vibrant and youthful Chardonnay. Brisk flavors of mango, kiwi, grapefruit are paired with bright acidity and cautious use of French oak. While this wine finishing lively and refreshing, some of its best days lie ahead. Enjoy now through 2022.”
~ Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
Production Data
Growers: Circle Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley AVA
Barrel Aging: 10 months
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, 17% new
Production: 6 barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: 3.2 pH
Alcohol: 14.3 %
Harvest: September 23, 2013
Club Release:
Drink Now through 2022
Tasting Notes
“Medium yellow hue. This Chardonnay opens up nicely with notes of mango, pineapple, kiwi, peach, and guava on the nose. With aeration, subtle notes of banana and vanilla bean become evident. The fruity aromas segue nicely into the flavor profile and are matched with elements of honey and butterscotch. Brisk acidity is met with silky oak textures, leading to an integrated and complex finish. Drink now through 2019.”
~ Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
Production Data
Growers: Circle Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley AVA
Barrel Aging: 11 months
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, 21% new
Production: 14 barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: 7.08 g/L – 3.32 pH
Alcohol: 14.5%
Harvest: September, 2012
Club Release: January 17, 2014
Drink Now through 2019
Tasting Notes
“Medium yellow hue. This fine Chardonnay opens up with notes of ripe fig, mango, peach, kiwi, and pineapple. As the wine swirls on the palate, tropical notes segue into intense minerality. Just before the acidity appears too vibrant, notes of honey interweave in the palate to create a hedonistic creaminess. This wine finishes smooth, yet lively, representing another exciting effort out of this cool climate vineyard. Drink now through 2020..”
~ Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
Production Data
Growers: Circle Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley AVA
Barrel Aging: 1 months
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, % new
Production: barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: g/L – pH
Alcohol: %
Harvest: September, 2011
Club Release:
Drink Now through 2020
Tasting Notes
“Our 2010 Sierra Madre Vineyard Chardonnay is one of my favorite wines. Aromas of honey, pear, and kiwi are accented wtih notes of vanilla and cloves. On the palate, the pear and honey combine with grapefruit and passionfruit flavors. Bright acidity heightens the fruit and complements the rich, creme brulee – like finish. Drink now thru 2016.”
~ Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
Production Data
Growers: Circle Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley AVA
Barrel Aging: months
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, % new
Production: barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: g/L – pH
Alcohol: %
Harvest: September, 2010
Club Release:
Drink Now through 2016
Tasting Notes
“Medium yellow color. This Chardonnay exhibits an intriguing nose of butterscotch, caramel, peach sorbet, then followed up with ripe fig, apricot, and vanilla bean. The flavors are seamless expressions of the aroma profile and are paired with hints of passion fruit and guava. While the initial texture seems rich, the vibrant acidity helps create layers in this hedonistic wine, leading to a cleansing finish. Drink now through 2017”
~ Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
Production Data
Growers: Circle Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Maria Valley AVA
Barrel Aging: months
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, % new
Production: 12 barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: 6.09 g/L – pH
Alcohol: 14.2%
Harvest: September, 2009
Club Release:
Drink Now through 2017