The Central Coastās cool climate influenced in crafting a creamy golden-hue Chardonnay with balanced acidity. Aromas of vanilla, granny smith apple and candied lemon fill your glass while flavors of toast, citrus and quince please your palate.
Production Notes
The fruit was night harvested and cold pressed within hours to maintain quality. Once the juice settled it was racked clean and fermented at a cool temperature with Montrachet, M2, PDM and D254 yeast to develop varietal characteristics. Underwent native malolactic fermentation and aged on 25% new French oak for 6 months.
A former Wells Fargo stagecoach stop, the town of Ballard was founded in 1880 with lofty dreams of being a future metropolis. But sometimes history has a different plan. While Ballard is the oldest community within the famed Santa Ynez Valley on Californiaās Central Coast, itās also the smallest, despite the dreams of its founders.
Ballard was named for William Ballard, who ran the Wells Fargo station from 1862 to 1870. Although Ballard served as the connection point between rural and seaside communities, it never grew in mass like its neighbor Santa Barbara, and is now much as it was over 100 years ago.
Today, Ballard is a combination of sleepy village and upscale bedroom community. The surrounding area is noted for its thriving and well-respected wine industry and was featured in the Academy Award nominated film āSideways.ā Vineyards, coastal bluffs and ranches merge seamlessly together through roads the locals call ālanes.ā Ultimately, many of these paths end up in Ballard.
The Ballard Lane wines are a reflection of the Millers, a Central Coast family who has farmed the area for five generations. Their proprietary knowledge of the climate and terroirs of the Central Coast are reflected in each bottle of Ballard Lane wine.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Ballard Lane Chardonnay - $22 = 19.63%
The Wine Enthusiast review:
90 Points. Best Buy. Tight aromas of lime, wet stone and bright lemon are quite fresh on the nose of this well-priced wine. There is tension to the palate, carrying flavors of nectarine, white melon and tangy citrus. MK 12/31/18
Hey yāall! Wes Hagen, Consulting Winemaker and Brand Ambassador here for Miller Family/Ballard Lane and a CaseMates lurker/poster. Of course Iām a fan of these wines as daily drinkers, but Iāve also been impressed with how they age over 3-5 years from release. I can say confidently that our quality control and winemaking has never been better than the team we have now, and this is one of my Dadās favorite wines to sip in the desert when itās warm to hot. Iāll be checking for further questions during the day, so letās have a conversation.
@WesHagen Hi, always nice to have winemaker/ambassador participation. Can you explain any more about the source of the fruit? The write-up mentions night-harvest and cold-pressing implying these are single vineyard or at least predominantly from one area. But I didnāt see any specifics other than Central Coast AVA.
Iāll admit that I have not been especially fond of the Central Coast Chardonnays I have tried. And maybe because of that, I probably havenāt tried many recently, so my experience is limited. Iāll admit I do tend to favor the Northwest ones (WA mostly), as thatās the region I live in and there is abundant access to reasonably-priced chardonnay here.
Wondering if you can tell me why I might like this one as compared to a typical off-the-retail-shelf Central Coast chard? Thanks.
@pmarin@WesHagen I guess in a related question - is this essentially a declassified set of lots from what otherwise would have been single vineyard or more specific wines? Or were these grapes destined for an appellation blend from the beginning?
@klezman@pmarin With 7+ labels, most of which include varietal Chardonnay wines, it would be less than honest to say we know where every lot is destined at harvest, pre-ferment or even pre-ML. Post ML we go through every lot from harvest, evaluate and start to make a jigsaw plan on how the wines best mesh together for our labels and the specific styles we try to produce. We definitely source a lot of fruit for Ballard Lane from Monterey, Santa Lucia, Santa Barbara and even the great sites in Paso Robles Highlands. We do have 2400 acres of vines producing at Miller Family, many of the most famous vineyards on the Central Coast, which gives us room to grow and also gives us a massive advantage in understanding vineyard sources, cultural practices and ways to encourage the best fruit comes in with our vineyard management partners. I hope that is a satisfactory answer. I try not to answer in āpromotionā speech, as Iād rather you learn something from the conversation.
@pmarin Oregon, WA and Columbia Gorge Chards will likely have more cut/acidity, but Iām pleased that this selection is not even close to soft or flabbyāit shows nice freshness and crunchiness with bright fruit and a mere whisper of oak/browned butter. While some Central Coast appellated wines bear the AVA as almost a āpuntā, being blended from sources that might not want to be divulged, this wine is made and blended by the same expert team and the a fruit acquisition team that cut their teeth on our Estate vineyards. We buy big lots of Chardonnay from Monterey into Santa Barbara County, get great deals from excellent vineyards and pass the savings along in what I consider one of the better value-oriented bottlings in California. the last thing I can say is many of the vineyard sources would be familiar to CA wine geeks, we canāt divulge them contractually when selling the wine at this price point. I hope that answers your question and thanks so much for engaging!
@pmarin@WesHagen Thatās actually quite helpful, thanks Wes. If Iād have thought more about how much wine you make in a year this would be more obvious. But having a wide array of ingredients for your various bottlings has to be a fun way to go about it. Your blending days must be super interesting when you have to blend dozens of lots of the same variety!
@klezman@pmarin Blending days are likely my favorite work days of the year. Its also nerve wrackingādeciding if your work for the past two years (a year to grow grapes and another to make the wine) was worth it. Itās like looking at the NYT theater review of a play you wrote after opening night. I am lucky to have such a talented team at the helm of winemaking at Ballard Lane and Miller Family, so the news is almost always good and the lots that end up in Ballard Lane usually surprise me for their quality and value.
Better late than never?
Yesterday, UPS: āWeāve incorrectly sorted this package which may cause a delayā
I had to go out of town today and waited around at the house as long as possible, but alas, I was a state away when they finally showed up.
My wife is a rare wine drinker, preferring sweeter whites, but she took one for the team for you since some notes are better than none.
āOhh, it smells good. Its fruity.
OH! ITāS FRUIT FORWARD! AHAHA!
You know how some Chardonnay are aggressively dry? This is not. This is one Iād actually like. Itās a nice dry. Like youāre on a beach, not in the desert.
Apple comes to mind. Also butter comes to mind; like mild. It goes back and forth between red apple and green apple, but not tart.
Thereās a floral note [nose], but I canāt determine what it is. Like a fruit blossom. Maybe Orange blossom?ā
Asked what she thought the pricing should be $5-$30: ā$20-25? This is no cheap wine.ā
Told her the price here: āOh $h!7!ā āThis would be good if you want to impress somebody on a budget.ā
@bent80 It would be rare for me to not drink a wine offered to me. But yes there have been some exceptions. I kind-of like the āonly drinks rare wineā name but that could get expensive.
Just got my bottle an hour ago. I tried to chill the bottle as much as possible before tasting, but in an effort to get this up before the deal is gone I drank it a little on the warm side.
This wine is a nice yellowy gold color and smells of tropical fruit and nice floral notes (maybe honeysuckle). The taste is light and easy to drink and very easy on the oak while still having the nice warmth that oak can give. I donāt usually prefer Chardonnay, but I do like this and will have no problem finishing this bottle.
Sorry for the rushed and short rattage, but this is a good buy for a nice easy drinker wine!
@calvinko805 Thanks, brother. Much different job here at Miller Family, but I bring that 20+ years at Clos Pepe to bear on everything I do, make, taste and sell! Let me know if youāll be around to get together for a taste: whagen@millerfamilywinecompany.com
2017 Ballard Lane Chardonnay, Central Coast
Tasting Notes
90 Points & Best Buy ~ Wine Enthusiast
Production Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$201.88/Case at Ballard Lane Chardonnay for 12x 2017 Ballard Lane Chardonnay, Central Coast
About The Winery
Ballard Lane Chardonnay Video
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, WA, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Oct 26 - Tuesday, Oct 27
Ballard Lane Chardonnay
6 bottles for $55.99 $9.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $89.99 $7.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Ballard Lane Chardonnay
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Ballard Lane Chardonnay - $22 = 19.63%
The Wine Enthusiast review:
90 Points. Best Buy. Tight aromas of lime, wet stone and bright lemon are quite fresh on the nose of this well-priced wine. There is tension to the palate, carrying flavors of nectarine, white melon and tangy citrus. MK 12/31/18
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/ballard-lane-2017-chardonnay-central-coast-303828/
Looks like there is an 85 point review from Wine Spectator in Feb 2019 but the words are behind the paywall
fwiw
Hey yāall! Wes Hagen, Consulting Winemaker and Brand Ambassador here for Miller Family/Ballard Lane and a CaseMates lurker/poster. Of course Iām a fan of these wines as daily drinkers, but Iāve also been impressed with how they age over 3-5 years from release. I can say confidently that our quality control and winemaking has never been better than the team we have now, and this is one of my Dadās favorite wines to sip in the desert when itās warm to hot. Iāll be checking for further questions during the day, so letās have a conversation.
@WesHagen Hi, always nice to have winemaker/ambassador participation. Can you explain any more about the source of the fruit? The write-up mentions night-harvest and cold-pressing implying these are single vineyard or at least predominantly from one area. But I didnāt see any specifics other than Central Coast AVA.
Iāll admit that I have not been especially fond of the Central Coast Chardonnays I have tried. And maybe because of that, I probably havenāt tried many recently, so my experience is limited. Iāll admit I do tend to favor the Northwest ones (WA mostly), as thatās the region I live in and there is abundant access to reasonably-priced chardonnay here.
Wondering if you can tell me why I might like this one as compared to a typical off-the-retail-shelf Central Coast chard? Thanks.
@pmarin @WesHagen I guess in a related question - is this essentially a declassified set of lots from what otherwise would have been single vineyard or more specific wines? Or were these grapes destined for an appellation blend from the beginning?
@klezman @pmarin With 7+ labels, most of which include varietal Chardonnay wines, it would be less than honest to say we know where every lot is destined at harvest, pre-ferment or even pre-ML. Post ML we go through every lot from harvest, evaluate and start to make a jigsaw plan on how the wines best mesh together for our labels and the specific styles we try to produce. We definitely source a lot of fruit for Ballard Lane from Monterey, Santa Lucia, Santa Barbara and even the great sites in Paso Robles Highlands. We do have 2400 acres of vines producing at Miller Family, many of the most famous vineyards on the Central Coast, which gives us room to grow and also gives us a massive advantage in understanding vineyard sources, cultural practices and ways to encourage the best fruit comes in with our vineyard management partners. I hope that is a satisfactory answer. I try not to answer in āpromotionā speech, as Iād rather you learn something from the conversation.
@pmarin Oregon, WA and Columbia Gorge Chards will likely have more cut/acidity, but Iām pleased that this selection is not even close to soft or flabbyāit shows nice freshness and crunchiness with bright fruit and a mere whisper of oak/browned butter. While some Central Coast appellated wines bear the AVA as almost a āpuntā, being blended from sources that might not want to be divulged, this wine is made and blended by the same expert team and the a fruit acquisition team that cut their teeth on our Estate vineyards. We buy big lots of Chardonnay from Monterey into Santa Barbara County, get great deals from excellent vineyards and pass the savings along in what I consider one of the better value-oriented bottlings in California. the last thing I can say is many of the vineyard sources would be familiar to CA wine geeks, we canāt divulge them contractually when selling the wine at this price point. I hope that answers your question and thanks so much for engaging!
@pmarin @WesHagen Thatās actually quite helpful, thanks Wes. If Iād have thought more about how much wine you make in a year this would be more obvious. But having a wide array of ingredients for your various bottlings has to be a fun way to go about it. Your blending days must be super interesting when you have to blend dozens of lots of the same variety!
@klezman @pmarin Blending days are likely my favorite work days of the year. Its also nerve wrackingādeciding if your work for the past two years (a year to grow grapes and another to make the wine) was worth it. Itās like looking at the NYT theater review of a play you wrote after opening night. I am lucky to have such a talented team at the helm of winemaking at Ballard Lane and Miller Family, so the news is almost always good and the lots that end up in Ballard Lane usually surprise me for their quality and value.
/giphy different-unbeatable-centaur
Sounds like a steal, sending a case to my chardonnay loving sister
@CruelMelody Thanks for the share and the funky video! Feel free to share my email with your sister if she has any questions on the wine: whagen@millerfamilywinecompany.com
@WesHagen thanks! Hopefully thereās a bottle left when Iām allowed to visit the family again
Better late than never?
Yesterday, UPS: āWeāve incorrectly sorted this package which may cause a delayā
I had to go out of town today and waited around at the house as long as possible, but alas, I was a state away when they finally showed up.
My wife is a rare wine drinker, preferring sweeter whites, but she took one for the team for you since some notes are better than none.
āOhh, it smells good. Its fruity.
OH! ITāS FRUIT FORWARD! AHAHA!
You know how some Chardonnay are aggressively dry? This is not. This is one Iād actually like. Itās a nice dry. Like youāre on a beach, not in the desert.
Apple comes to mind. Also butter comes to mind; like mild. It goes back and forth between red apple and green apple, but not tart.
Thereās a floral note [nose], but I canāt determine what it is. Like a fruit blossom. Maybe Orange blossom?ā
Asked what she thought the pricing should be $5-$30: ā$20-25? This is no cheap wine.ā
Told her the price here: āOh $h!7!ā āThis would be good if you want to impress somebody on a budget.ā
Sheās in for a case.
/giphy flattering-thoughtful-territory
@bent80 Iām sure your wife would never lie to me; Iām in for one . . .
/giphy woolen-sizable-bell
@bent80 No, I did NOT expect that giphy!
@rpstrong Iām not madā¦
@bent80 @rpstrong ā¦ yeah, I hate it when that happens!
@bent80 @rpstrong Thatās an excellent, if not giffy, representation of this California Chardonnay beauty. Curvy, sexy and slightly performative.
@bent80 thank you & your wife for reporting. whether or not she drinks rare wine or rarely drinks wine.
*rarely drinks wine. Not, āonly drinks rare wineā.
@bent80 It would be rare for me to not drink a wine offered to me. But yes there have been some exceptions. I kind-of like the āonly drinks rare wineā name but that could get expensive.
Just got my bottle an hour ago. I tried to chill the bottle as much as possible before tasting, but in an effort to get this up before the deal is gone I drank it a little on the warm side.
This wine is a nice yellowy gold color and smells of tropical fruit and nice floral notes (maybe honeysuckle). The taste is light and easy to drink and very easy on the oak while still having the nice warmth that oak can give. I donāt usually prefer Chardonnay, but I do like this and will have no problem finishing this bottle.
Sorry for the rushed and short rattage, but this is a good buy for a nice easy drinker wine!
@scenicready thank you for reporting even with the late arriving bottle.
Hey how are you doing @WesHagenz
Love your wines already in the Pepe days
@calvinko805 Thanks, brother. Much different job here at Miller Family, but I bring that 20+ years at Clos Pepe to bear on everything I do, make, taste and sell! Let me know if youāll be around to get together for a taste: whagen@millerfamilywinecompany.com
/giphy watery-crowded-seashore
@rpstrong well, darn tried 3x to get a giph like yours. All I got was this nerd!
@kitkat34 @rpstrong Get some of that Chardonnay in you, and the sexy ladies just show up! Just like friends when you tap a keg!
@kitkat34 @rpstrong
Hey now! Thatās Richard Ayoade and heās extremely hot, in that dry, buttoned-up British way.
youāre an all-star