2001 Scott Paul Chardonnay ‘Kent Ritchie Vineyard’

If it were so easy to make a great Chardonnay, California would be awash in first-rate bottles. But when you start with grapes from the famed Kent Ritchie vineyard on the Sonoma Coast, it definitely helps. Scott Paul Wright, a radio producer turned winemaker, has the right idea. His 2001 Chardonnay “Kent Ritchie Vineyard” is as graceful as they come. It has a light citrus scent mixed in with the telltale vanilla of lightly toasted French oak. Old vines mean concentrated flavors enhanced by a marvelous minerally quality and a finish that lingers.

Not much of this was made, so if you see some, grab it. Enjoy it on its own or with something simple enough to show off the wine’s complexity: a roast chicken basted with butter, sauteed fish in a beurre blanc, or mussels in cream.

-- S. Irene Virbila

*

Quick Swirl

Region: Sonoma Coast

Price: About $35

Style: Rich and full-bodied

Food it goes with: Roast chicken, fish in beurre blanc, mussels in cream

Where you find it: Twenty Twenty Wine Co. in Los Angeles, (310) 447-2020; Wally’s in West Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606; Wine Expo in Santa Monica, (310) 828-4428.