Almost by chance, former Dutch racing driver Ben Pon (you know, from the Pon family, which imports VW, Audi and Porsche, among others) acquired a piece of land on the Californian slopes behind Carmel Valley Village in 1989. Here he started his Bernardus Winery with the aim of producing wines that rival the greatest Bordeaux and Grand Crus. The vineyards in the Carmel Valley are carefully planted with a variety of grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc. While the Bordeaux-style varieties grow in the vineyards of Carmel Valley, the Chardonnay is cultivated in cool, maritime climates, namely in the Monterey Bay. Grapes from other California appellations are used to bring nuances to the Bernardus blends. The grapes of the Bernardus Chardonnay Rosella's Vineyard come from a single vineyard, namely the Rosella's vineyard. These grapes were planted by the current winemaker Gary Franscioni. This beautiful Chardonnay has been allowed to undergo a wood aging of more than 15 months. The grapes for this gem are of course all harvested by hand so that only the best juice is used for this wine. Due to the long wood aging, the color is deep golden yellow. In the nose we smell spiced apple slices, lemon pie and orange blossom with hints of baked bread, brioche and marzipan. In the mouth the beautiful fresh acids stand out with some citrus flavors plus a hint of allspice on the aftertaste. We had never judged this as a Napa Valley Chardonnay during the tasting and much more as a handsome white Burgundy. Fun fact: only around 90-120 bottles of this wine are brought to the each year