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Neely

Bob and Jim Varner have turned out another magnificent set of wines at Varner and Neely. Vintage 2013 appears to have favored the Chardonnays - which are truly superb - over the Pinots.

The Varners describe 2013 as a year with vine stress because of the drought, but add that there were no heat spikes or other weather shocks. As always, the Varner Chardonnays are built on breadth, power and a sense of phenolic intensity that is one of the signatures of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Chardonnays see only about eight months in barrel and are bottled in July, but then not released for almost another year. Interestingly, the Pinots are made in a much more forward, lush style than the Chardonnays, so much so that they almost seem to reflect two very different winemaking aesthetics. Here the Varners take an unusual approach in that the Pinots all undergo malolactic fermentation in steel rather than in barrel and only go into oak after spending 2-3 months in tank. There are four wines in the Neely range; three single-vineyard Pinots and a single Chardonnay that is a blend of the vineyards the Varners use for their own Varner label.

From Santa Cruz Mountains: Scaling the Heights (Jul 2015) by Antonio Galloni

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2013 Chardonnay Holly's Cuvée

Release Price: $48

Color: White

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2012 Pinot Noir Hidden Block

Release Price: $45

Color: Red

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2012 Pinot Noir Picnic Block

Release Price: $45

Color: Red

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2012 Pinot Noir Upper Picnic

Release Price: $45

Color: Red

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Neely

2013 Chardonnay Holly's Cuvée

2012 Pinot Noir Hidden Block

2012 Pinot Noir Picnic Block

2012 Pinot Noir Upper Picnic

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