Mer Soleil Chardonnay Reserve Santa Barbara 2015  - Last Bottle

Mer Soleil Chardonnay Reserve Santa Barbara 2015

Strap in, kids. HOLD ON. Be ready. A charnado is coming. The train car is click-clacking toward the precipice….and your mouth is about to get Disney Splash Mountain-ed with the rich, intense flavors of Mer Soleil Chardonnay you know and love, cranked up a bit in this new Reserve bottling. LUSH is the word! Not for the shy!! Excellent price and a double 90-pointer!!


Mer Soleil (part of the Wagner Family of Wine, Caymus, Emmolo, etc.) has expanded a tiny bit into Santa Barbara for this Reserve bottling, and while it is a roller-coaster of rich, intense flavors, this location gives the wine some good freshness and lift to help along the cascade of apricot, honeysuckle, and creme caramel flavors that PACK this Chardonnay. A wild ride of toasty spices follow up, with nutmeg and cardamom and spiced peaches...wow!!  It’s hard to keep up with!! Anyway, you get the idea --- if you love the more “buttery” and unctuous style of Chard without too much heaviness, you gotta throw a case of this in your cart ASAP. Another classic Mer Soleil! Best price anywhere and free shipping! Woo hoo! While it lasts….!

The Wagner family legacy of winemaking has been carried on for three generations. The family’s deep roots of farming grapes and producing wine began in 1915 in the Napa Valley. Charlie F. Wagner and Lorna Belle Glos Wagner, along with their son, Chuck, established Caymus Vineyards in 1972. Chuck saw great potential for producing quality wines outside of the Napa Valley as well, and by 1988, Chuck began planting land in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This appellation, located in Monterey County, is along the cooler coastline, yielding early ripening for Chardonnay. Mer Soleil Chardonnay became the product of this quality chosen site, and has been run by Chuck’s eldest son, Charlie F. Wagner II, since 2001.

Technical Details

Country: United States
Region: California
Appellation: Santa Barbara County
Varietal: Chardonnay
Winemaker: Charlie Wagner
Alcohol: 14.70%

About The Producer

As a teenager, Charlie began making wine along side his father. Charlie and his brother Joe, winemaker of Belle Glos, grew up learning and carrying on the viticulture practices of the Wagner family. However, Charlie continually seeks innovation as he produces high quality Chardonnay. In 2006, he started a second Chardonnay label, Silver, which strayed away from the traditional barrel fermented Chardonnay. Silver is Charlie’s unoaked Chardonnay, fermented in cement vats and stainless steal tanks. Born and raised in the vineyards of Napa Valley, Charlie practically has wine in his blood. It is no surprise that he shares the passion of winemaking with his father and grandfather.

For the Wagners, it’s all about the farming. One important aspect of farming that the Wagners value is crop rotation. In Monterey County, Charlie farms 100 acres of lemons, some of which are the Meyer variety. The juicy, brilliant yellow fruit are sold through a local produce broker. The citrus aroma is often evident in the Mer Soleil and Silver Chardonnays, as the grapes and lemons are produced from the same soils and weather patterns. This is the result of the lemon orchards that surround the vineyards.

Pairing Suggestions

Pairs well with truffles, crab cakes, and pasta primavera!

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