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Kalin Cellars, Livermore Valley Chardonnay Cuvee W, 1999

White Wine from California, United States
$49.99
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A 1999 California Chardonnay only now arriving on shelves — and that's exactly as its makers intended. Terry and Frances Leighton, both microbiologists, founded Kalin Cellars in 1977 and made a habit of holding bottles back for a decade or more after harvest, releasing them only when they judged the wine had reached the start of its drinking window. While 1990s California was busy with big, buttery crowd-pleasers, they were chasing umami and savory depth: slow-fermenting yeasts, long sur lie maturation, extended barrel aging, minimal intervention. Cuvée W is 100% Chardonnay from the Wente Estate Vineyards just outside Livermore, planted to the original Wente clone that John Wente brought back from Burgundy at the start of the twentieth century — cuttings taken from Louis Latour's Corton-Charlemagne vines, which tells you something about the ambition here. The old vines (50–60 years) sit on iron-rich clay, farmed lutte raisonnée, and fermentation, malolactic conversion and sur lie aging all happen in small oak barrels, half of them new. For anyone who thinks California Chardonnay can't age, this is the rebuttal, and it comes with more than two decades already behind it.

Shipping

Every step of the journey is managed to uphold the integrity of each bottle.

  • Nationwide Access: Flat-rate shipping available to most U.S. states with delivery in 3-5 business days.
  • Temperature-Monitored Shipping: We closely monitor weather conditions and make informed decisions to ensure shipments travel safely, with insulated packaging and refrigerated transport available when required.
  • Wine-Specific Protective Packaging: Specialized materials designed to maintain label integrity and prevent breakage during transit.
  • Provenance Assured: All wines are maintained in climate-controlled conditions at our shop until the moment of dispatch.

Returns & Exchanges

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  • Corked wine? Full refund or exchange within 60 days
  • Damaged shipment? Contact us within 48 hours
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Saturday: 10am - 9pm

Email: help@flatiron-wines.com
Phone: (212) 477-1315

More about Kalin Cellars

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Chardonnay

  • Vintage

    1999

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Sustainable

  • Style

    Rich

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Medium Bodied

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

What has to say about this wine:

Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Roast chicken with pan drippings, Dungeness crab with drawn butter, mushroom risotto, aged Comté, miso-glazed black cod, or a simple bowl of clams steamed with garlic and white wine.

Tasting Profile

Aromas of toasted hazelnut, dried apple and lemon oil, with the savory, broth-like note that comes from long aging on the lees. Medium-bodied and dry, with firm acidity keeping it lively rather than heavy — more nutty and mineral than buttery. Long, gently salty finish.