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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2021 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The back label says it was made by Ashford Court who also made Trader Joe’s perennial favorite, Cotillion Pinot Noir. The actual producer of Cotillion is Plata Wine Partners of Napa, California.
You may have not heard of Plata Wine Partners, but they are legit. They own 60 vineyards comprising 18,000 acres. They are the largest independent coastal grape growers in California and also produce a large portfolio of wines.
We choose the Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2021 because we reviewed the 2020 vintage of Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Santa Barbara Chardonnay and wanted to explore what Santa Barbara had to offer.
There are no technical or tasting notes for this Chardonnay, not even a line or two on the back label. So what we are going to learn about this Chardonnay will come from the tasting portion. The alcohol content is 14.1%.
The Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2021 Tasting Notes
The color is a pale golden yellow, it looks like it had a little oak barrel aging. The nose is ripe apple, lemon curd, peach, pear, stone fruit, a little spice, a hint of vanilla, and unsweetened pineapple. The Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2021 is a ripe, balanced, and ert tasty Chardonnay with excellent acidity.
This Chardonnay tastes like a stew of apples, melon, lemon, and Anjou pear, with nectarine. The mid-palate brings just a little of that nutty/salty on-lees thing, peach, spice, and soft tropical fruit. The acidity allows the flavors to unfold and sets your palate up for the next sip.
The Summary
- The Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2021 is a very good ten-buck Chardonnay.
- I have had enough Chardonnay from Santa Barbara to figure out I favor these wines, they have tasty fruit and excellent structure.
