"Y" Block Chardonnay 2018

Qupé are the masters when it comes to cool-climate expressions of Rhône varietals grown along the Central Coast of Santa Barbara County. Niche? Yes, definitely. But aren’t all the best things?

The cool Pacific Ocean sets them apart from the rest of California, so the Rhone Rangers in this region very much plough their own furrow. The grapes for “Y” Block Chardonnay come predominantly from the Bien Nacido Vineyard and there’s also a little splash of Viognier and Marsanne in the mix too. They are picked by hand, fermented in barrels, and aged in French oak for around seven months. What emerges from those precious casks is a rich white with intense notes of lemon peel, pear, caramelised apple, nutmeg, vanilla, beach pebbles, toasty oak and a squeeze of lime. Consider pairing this fresh, sun-kissed Chardonnay with creamy sauces, fatty pork or coconut-based curries.

Bob Lindquist took out a small bank loan so that he could turn his hobby into a business when he established Qupé Vineyards in Santa Barbara County. Now it produces tens of thousands of cases of wine a year, with the wines being made at the same winery that Au Bon Climat’s are created. In 2015, Bob Lindquist was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhone Rangers organisation (a group of American winemakers who promote the Rhône Valley grape varieties). Following in the footsteps of Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon and Bob Haas of Tablas Creek, he is only the third to receive this award, showing what high esteem he is held in.