It is always fun to hunt down what I feel are wines truly representative of what we can do here in Monterey for my wine classes. My next one is for the Northern Virginia American Wine Society. I was reading the Wine Enthusiast Magazine a couple of months back and saw this Monterey Chardonnay earned the #9 spot on The Enthusiast 100: The Best Wines of 2021. I tracked it down at a market in Carmel-By-The-Sea and we served it during a family reunion. Now that I have finally tasted it, I hope I can still acquire a couple more bottles!
About Diora: “At Diora, indulgence indeed begins in the Vineyard. Diora is the culmination of a thirty-year vineyard-to-bottle journey at the Santa Lucia Highlands and our family-owned San Bernabe estate in Monterey. Specific blocks at San Bernabe were replanted in the early 1990s in a unique wind orientation to allow the vines to thrive off the Monterey Bay’s cool ocean breezes and thicken the skins to heighten the luscious, round textures on the palate. The elevated positioning of the Santa Lucia Highlands helps produce Diora’s underlying structure and mouth-coating texture.” Diora is part of the Delicato family of wines.
2019 Diora La Splendeur du Soleil Chardonnay, San Bernabe AVA, Monterey, 14.5% ABV, $20 (Wine #652*)
Winemaker’s Notes: “This Diora La Splendeur du Soleil Chardonnay is a beautiful, golden hue, with aromas of toasted oak mingle with light spice notes of cinnamon. The delicate flavors of vanilla bean give way to a lovely, soft and light buttery layer. This reminds one of a rich, yet delicate crème brûlée with a soft, round mouthfeel that will pair beautifully with lobster or sautéed scallops. The light acidity and long finish of this wine will also be a great accompaniment to a variety of dishes.” This wine comes mostly from its San Bernabe estate vineyard, where it gets its tropical notes. The rest comes from its Santa Lucia Highlands vineyard, providing more of the citrusy balance.
Wine Enthusiast – 93 points: “Excellently presented aromas of butter, nectarine, warm almond and white flower are delicate but expressive on the nose of this bottling. An immediate acidity races through the palate, lifting the toasty and buttery elements while pairing smartly against the ripe citrus and white flower elements.” Matt Kettmann, December 2021
My Review: Viscous and golden in the glass. Tropical nose with melon and a touch of smoke. Grilled peach and pineapple on the palate with toasted caramel on the finish. This was a very interesting, atypical Chardonnay which everyone enjoyed. April 2022
Diora’s website contains a tab for finding their wines near you. You can also order their wines from their website – it will take you to Delicato’s purchasing engine. While Diora does not appear to have a tasting room, Delicato Family Wines is located at 12001 South Highway 99 in Manteca, California between Modesto and Stockton and is open every day from 9am – 5:30pm. You can find more details here.
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
© Decanting Monterey 2023
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