Overlook Chardonnay Named to Top 100 Wines List

It’s hard to overstate how honored we are that Wine Spectator named our 2016 Overlook Chardonnay one of their Top 100 wines in the world. In fact, it was one of only seven Chardonnays that made the list. But to us, this feels like something more than just recognition of a single vintage. Because the story of Overlook Chardonnay isn’t one of overnight success, but of a decades-long journey driven by the spirit of exploration that’s at the heart of Landmark Vineyards.

The Overlook story began in the early ’90s, when our founder, Damaris Deere Ford, hired world-renowned enologist Helen Turley to deepen Landmark’s commitment to Chardonnay. Turley pushed us to expand our search for the finest grapes to every corner of California. Her influence was crucial in forging lasting relationships with the incredibly skilled growers we still work with today.

For our first Overlook vintage, our winemaker at the time, Eric Stern, vinified small lots from a wide range of exceptional vineyards. As good as each individual vineyard was, no lot accounted for more than five percent of the total blend—rather, each contributed something unique and special. Since then, Overlook Chardonnay has been a consistent, award-winning blend and one of our most important wines.

The next chapter of the Overlook story came in 2007, when Greg Stach became head winemaker, and Landmark began sourcing our own land and planting vineyards from scratch. Greg perfected the process of finding a site with potential, selecting the perfect varieties to plant in that site, and crafting wine that showcased the full potential of that particular vineyard. Many of these lots were chosen for Overlook, but they excited Greg so much that he was determined to make them stand alone as well. Soon, Landmark released its first single-vineyard vintages.

Over the past 12 years, our single-vineyard Chardonnays have truly come into their own. For example, the Hilliard Bruce and Sangiacomo Chardonnays featured in this year’s spring shipment have received exceptional accolades from top critics and are among our Members’ favorites. We love making these small lots available to our Members and Tasting Room guests so we can continue to show the diversity and potential of California Chardonnays.

Stock up now on 2017 Overlook Chardonnay, a one-of-a-kind wine that delivers both quality and value, or elevate your next special occasion with one of our single-vineyard Chardonnays. Better yet, pick up a few bottles of both and build a portfolio of California’s best!