Edna Road 500 Ranch Edna Valley Chardonnay, 2019

 

On the top shelf at Trader Joe's I saw the Edna Valley Vineyards Central Coast Chardonnay, a wine I have bought and enjoyed many times. The price was $10.99. Just below it was this Edna Road Chardonnay from the Edna Valley appellation for $8.99. Edna Valley is a more prized appellation than the general Central Coast area, and, I pesume, the grapes are priced accordingly. I can find no record of any winery named Edna Road nor Ranch 500. So this apparently is a label created specifically for Trader Joe's. And, as I discovered when tasting it, an escellent value.

Medium deep yellow. White peaches, lemon and a good whiff of butter. Not the creamy, buttery texture that is common with Chardonnays that have gone through malolactic fermentation but the smell and flavor of fresh Kerry Gold butter. Edna Valley, moreso than the more general Central Coast appellation, has a cool climate with morning fog and cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Edna Valley Vineyards wine above it on the shelf, this wine is oaky but not at all sweet or flabby. The oak tannins open up nicely on the finish to reveal well defined Chardonnay flavors with a pleasing touch of caramel. Good wine, good value; I have already gone back for a case.