Do you really like Chardonnay?

[Carolyn Tillie]

With Craig's approval, I am posting this odd thread about a huge library of Chardonnay available for sale - really, really cheap:

Last September, I had the good fortune of landing a nice career-potential job at Ladera Vineyards. It used to be known as Chateau Woltner which specialized in Burgundian-style Chardonnay (the owners owned a winery in Burgundy as well as this one). By all accounts, instead of heavy butter and oak, like a 'classic California' Chard, these are a bit more steely, better served chilled with food, and in the French style. On another wine chatlist, many commented that if I got a chance to taste through the library of Woltner chardonnay, I should take the opportunity. Sadly, I am not a Chard fan and even though I could, I don't have much interest in even tasting these wines.

As it happens, the new owners ARE sitting on a huge library of Chateau Woltner Chardonnays dating from 1988 through 1999 - over 150 cases worth of 750s alone and over 300 bottles in larger formats (Magnums to 5 Litres). And as they are now marketing a new label and new wine, we are trying to find away to dispose of these library wines. They have been properly cellared at 55 degrees and are now in our cave.

I just hate seeing this stuff go to waste and thought eGullet readers could gain from our need to clean out the cave. If anybody is interested, you can e-mail privately for a complete inventory and prices at carrie@laderavineyards.com

As agreed, I will not be listing prices or conducting business via this site. I'm sorry that I can't tell you more about the quality of the wine -- those that love it, REALLY love it -- I'm just not one of them.

Edited February 4, 2004 by Carolyn Tillie (log)

[Craig Camp]

Please send any questions you have to Carolyn via PM or e-mail. I will add these are among the most age-worthy California Chardonnays ever produced.

[Mark Sommelier]

After the sale of their property in Pessac-Leognan (I think it was La Mission Haut-Brion) , the Woltners purchased California property. They were the first of the high priced chardonnays in the 80's ($40 a bottle then was outrageous). Most recently, Ted Lemon had been the consulting winemaker at Woltner. Ted has mastered the French style and is a very fine winemaker with the great wines of Littorai as his flagship property.

Edited February 4, 2004 by Mark Sommelier (log)

[Carolyn Tillie]

After the sale of their property in Pessac-Leognan (I think it was La Mission Haut-Brion) , the Woltners purchased California property. They were the first of the high priced chardonnays in the 80's ($40 a bottle then was outrageous). Most recently, Ted Lemon had been the consulting winemaker at Woltner. Ted has mastered the French style and is a very fine winemaker with the great wines of Littorai as his flagship property.

Clarification -- Chateau Woltner was the name of the property and label. The owners were Francis and Francois DeWavrin. Ted Lemon was their winemaker but is now with Howell Mountain Vineyards.

In 2000 the DeWavrin sold the estate to Patrick and Anne Stotesbery. The Stotesberys have maintained the Woltner label as a "second" label, still releasing a Chardonnay (now from the Ritch Russian River vineyards) as well as a Cabernet. Ladera is their main production label, having ripped out the Chardonnay that was planted on Howell Mountain and replacing it with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Syrah.

The consulting winemaker for Ladera/Woltner is now Karen Culler (who also consults for Wolf Family Wines, Los Tres Amigos wines and makes her own, Culler Wines).

[Brad Ballinger]

I've seen recent discussions of Chateau Woltner on other boards. I still remember when the first vintage came out (was it 1888 or a year or two earlier?). I think there were three labels - a "regular," something else, and then the Titus. The Titus sold for $60+ in the Twin Cities market, and many people thought "how arrogant!" I know the price came down in subsequent vintages.

[DaleJ]

OK, I got the list. Can anyone help me sort through it, quality wise? Currently clueless. Thanks.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I've seen recent discussions of Chateau Woltner on other boards. I still remember when the first vintage came out (was it 1888 or a year or two earlier?).

WOW - you remember a vintage in 1888????

Yes, I posted this on Robin Garr's Wine Lover's Discussion Group first and only two folks took advantage of the offer there.

All I can tell you are the names of the vineyards currently being offered:

Titus

Frederique

St. Thomas

Howell Mountain

Estate Reserve

I couldn't begin to tell you which one was their "regular" vineyard other than they were all vineyard-designated.

The DeWavrins bought the estate in 1980 but the first vintage we have left as a library is a 1988.

Here is a brief history of the estate:

1887 - Vineyard purchased by Jean Adlophe Brun and Jean Chaix and named it Nouveau Medoc.

1886 - Winery built

1901 - Sold to California Wine Association

1920 to 1933 - Prohibition

1936 - Sold to Giovanni Tripoli

1942 - Sold to Battista Tripoli (son); winery named Tripoli and Son

1944 - Sold to Colton Wineries; winery named Old Mission Wines

1945 - Sold to buyer whose name is unavailable

1946 - Sold to L.F. Noonan; winery named Noonan Winery

1949 - Noonan Winery went out of business

1973 - Sold to Hal Cox and Dr. Walter Dawson

1980 - Sold to DeWavrins - winery named Chateau Woltner

2000 - Sold to Patrick and Anne Stotesbery - winery named Ladera Vineyards