Items not labeled as Rapid Ship or Pre-arrival may require a transfer from the warehouse to our shipping facility before shipping, which can take 4–6 business days. Learn more on the Shipping Info page.
In-store Only Items
These items are available at our location to purchase in-store, or to choose in-store pickup at checkout.
Long-term Pre-arrival Items
Long Term Pre-arrival Definition: Ordering wine directly through us from our supplier partners in Europe in advance of the item’s physical arrival in the US.
Long Term Pre-arrival sales ensure you’re getting the best possible price and that you have also secured the product before it hits the normal retail supply chain. The lead time for Pre-arrival goods is generally 4–8 months, sometimes longer based on supply chain and the logistics of transporting goods overseas. The expectation, from our team, is to communicate to the customer the location of their purchase every step of the way.
This product is offered as a full case purchase option, minimum order quantities may be applicable. When available, multiple case options will be presented. If you are purchasing a Pre-Arrival item you must order a solid case.
Rapid Ship
Items listed as "rapid ship" are in stock and available for immediate pickup or shipment. Those that do not have the "rapid ship" icon are housed with our supplier and must be transferred to our warehouse before they can be picked up or shipped. This requires 4-6 business days but usually occurs sooner. Some products will list both options of availability as there will be a certain number in stock, with the option to order additional bottles to be transferred from the supplier.
We offer FREE ground shipping and discounted upgraded shipping on orders with multiples of 12 qualifying bottles. Solid cases or mix-and-match, look for the yellow 12 FREE badge and save!
Sample image only.Please see Item description for product Information. When ordering, the item shipped will match the product listing if there are any discrepancies. Do not order solely on the label if you feel it does not match product description.
SKU 835725
$34.93/bottle
Out of stock
Want to be notified when this product is back in stock?
Rich with Sicilian puff pastry and cannoli crust, the 2018 Sicilia Menfi Chardonnay is an elaborate and full-bodied expression of this important white grape. The wine drives home a lasting impression of volume and opulence thanks to stone fruit, vanilla cream and baked bread. That touch of acidity is just enough to keep the wine light and jazzy in terms of mouthfeel. I also get that sweetness from Sicilian blood orange juice when it’s freshly squeezed.
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
Country
Italy
There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.
Region
Sicily
The beautiful island of Sicily has been growing grapevines and producing wines for thousands of years, ever since the ancient Greeks first landed on its golden shores and noticed the island's true potential as a haven for quality grapes. Today, the island is one of Italy's primary wine regions, and even though over eighty percent of Sicily's grapevines are used for the production of sweet fortified wines, the remaining wineries making other wine styles are renowned around the world for their quality and character. Indeed, Sicilian wineries are famed for their ability to capture something of the sun-drenched region in their wines, and the vines they cultivate benefit enormously from the almost constant sunshine and the incredibly fertile volcanic soils which typify the island.
WA94pts
Wine Advocate
Rich with Sicilian puff pastry and cannoli crust, the 2018 Sicilia Menfi Chardonnay is an elaborate and full-bodied expression of this important white grape. The wine drives home a lasting impression of volume and opulence thanks to stone fruit, vanilla cream and baked bread. That touch of acidity is just enough to keep the wine light and jazzy in terms of mouthfeel. I also get that sweetness from Sicilian blood orange juice when it's freshly squeezed.
JS93pts
James Suckling
Lovely nose of ripe apricot and mango with cream and croissant. It’s full-bodied and creamy, yet with good acidity and smoky minerality. Focused minerals and flint on the finish. This is a refined and focused chardonnay. Drink or hold.
VM93pts
Vinous Media
The 2018 Chardonnay isn’t shy, showing both rich and exotic, with notes of sweet wood spice and vanilla that give way to ripe peach and a hint of lime. Silky textures soothe all that they touch, riding a core of vibrant acids with tropical mango and kiwi balanced by salty minerals and inner herbal tones. Nearly a minute passes before the ripe fruit fades, leaving hints of butterscotch and a citrus twang. Planeta ferments and ages their Chardonnay for 10 months in French oak barrels, 50% new and 50% one year old. It’s a beautiful wine that bridges the old world and the new while remaining soulfully Sicilian.
WS90pts
Wine Spectator
A fresh, lovely white, medium-bodied and well-knit, with a backbone of fine china-like acidity enlivening the plush notes of Jonagold apple, crushed hazelnut, lemon curd and poached apricot. Finely detailed on the lingering, spiced finish. Drink now through 2026. 15,000 cases made, 2,500 cases imported.
WE90pts
Wine Enthusiast
This Chardonnay opens with aromas of ripe yellow apple, coconut and pineapple. The firm palate offers vanilla, toasted oak and hazelnut alongside fresh acidity.
Winery Notes
Starting from the richness of its deep clear golden but transparent color one imagines the pleasing contrast of creaminess and crispness in the taste. It is indeed a soft white wine underlaid by a refreshing acid vein which accompanies each mouthful. A slight mineral suggestion combines harmoniously with the flavour of ripe yellow peaches, acacia honey and marzipan and with some peaty, cereal and toasted aromas which precede the powerful balanced finish. For a change, try it with some just seared foie gras or with roast veal and mushroom sauce.
