Cakebread Cellars Reserve Chardonnay Carneros 2018

We’re all pretty familiar with Cakebread at this point – especially their Chardonnay which is made in an unapologetically Californian style. It’s enormous tasting profile and overt brashness is part of what has catapulted the brand to international stardom and brought with it hundreds of thousands of Cakebread acolytes. 

Of all the Cakebread of recent memory, the 2018 Carneros may be the best of the bunch. Conditions were near perfect in Carneros. Early rains replenished the soils, and then conditions evened out into perfect harmony. No heat spikes kept growth nice and even – and then at the end of the season, the grapes were able to just be allowed to continue hanging.

The Carneros Reserve bottling cherry picks the family’s favorite lots to blend into a harmonious explosion – nearing a sensory overload. The nose is like sticking your face in a freshly baked peach/apple cobbler pie. Equally assertive flavors of melon, apples, and pears swim around the palate.

But the 2018 has a much more vibrant acidity than most vintages – probably due to the extended hangtime – making it the complete package. Everything you expect from a classic Cakebread but capable of pairing with rich dishes – creamy pasta, triple cream cheeses, or buttery prepared seafoods.