2018 Halpin Grand Reserve Chardonnay Sonoma County

Knowing our friend Halpin’s penchant for achieving the impossible, it should come as no surprise that he was able to source Chardonnay from a producer who is arguably the most-celebrated and lauded in all of Sonoma County. In the last 15 years, the Chardonnays alone from this legendary winemaker have pulled down more than 100 scores of 90-98 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, with an astonishing 50+ scores earning 94 points and above. Halpin managed to pry away enough grapes to produce just nine barrels of Chardonnay.

Halpin’s winemaker Ry Richards gave it a royal Grand Cru Burgundy treatment—full malolactic fermentation in barrel, then six months of aging in 60 percent new French oak, all contributing a beautiful, round, rich, and creamy mouthfeel, fully supported by juicy acidity. Aromas and flavors of lemon-lime, citrus, kiwi, and exotic vanilla spices are underscored by a high-toned coriander pop, making the 2018 Halpin Grand Reserve Chardonnay from Sonoma County a grand steal at $15 per bottle.

We knew that Halpin, whose love for Cabernet Sauvignon is only outdone by California Chardonnay, would eventually make one himself. We just didn’t realize he’d already inked a deal for some of the best fruit money can buy, from one of the great producers of Sonoma County—one whose Chardonnay bottlings regularly earn “highly recommended” praise from Wine Spectator. How we found out Halpin had made his own is all at once ridiculous and typical.

A couple of weeks ago when the phone rang and “Halpin” appeared on the screen’s caller-ID, we let it go long enough for him to think we were ignoring his call. Then we answered, quickly regretting it.     

“Knock, knock,” he began.

“Oh, for crying out loud,” we moaned.

“Come on, play along!” he shot back.  

“Who’s there?” we said, begrudgingly. 

“Shar.”

“Shar, who?”

“Shar-doh-nay!” Halpin blurted out—fully supported by his own laughter. We weren’t laughing.

It was a little after 4:00 p.m. on a Wednesday. “What’s this all about, Halpin? We’re more than a bit busy,” we said, eyeing about 40 wines that still needed assessing before the five o’clock whistle. 

“I’ve hit the mother lode!” he practically shouted. 

In characteristically fortuitous timing, he’d been at the right place during last year’s harvest, when a notable Sonoma County winemaker was discussing the bountiful 2018 vintage with a group of friends—there was too much to bottle under his own label. Halpin—who stocks his own cellar with the best Chardonnays the world over from Burgundy’s Drouhin, Méo-Camuzet, and Leflaive to California’s Ramey, Kistler, Hyde de Villaine, and one we can’t mention today, knew what he was doing when he walked up to the winemaker and offered to buy four tons of grapes without even sampling a single berry.

By the time we hung up the phone, a knock at the door revealed just how many levers Halpin had been pulling that day—Ry Richards marched in with a bottle, grinning ear to ear. “I even brought my own corkscrew,” he said, twisting it into the cork and wasting no time pouring the golden juice into our glasses. 

It showed a nice lemon-gold color, with lemon peel aromas and sweet baking spices, then turned mouth-filling on entry with zippy lemon-lime citrus notes, kiwi, and exotic vanilla spices underscored by a high-toned coriander note. 

Almost too casually, we shot Ry a quick question: “Where’d the grapes come from?” He’s a winemaker, not a businessman, so he started to answer. He blurted out the first name, then caught himself, muttering a few curse words under his breath. It was all we needed to hear. 

We committed to every bottle so that Wine Access Chardonnay lovers could have the last laugh—with or without a Halpin’s “knock, knock” joke—knowing that they’ve locked into a wine that could cost much more than the under-$20 price tag it sports. It’s a good day to be a Chardonnay lover.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Sweetness
• Acidity

• ABV 13.50%
• Enjoy right away
• Drink Up
• % Chardonnay
• Serving temperature – 48°
• Cork