Exciting times for Californian wines

published 4 July 2014

2012 Sandhi, Chardonnay,Santa Barbara County, California(£32.95, Roberson Wine, 020-7381 7877).

I haven't been truly excited about Californian wine for well over two decades. Years ago, dearly departed Geoffrey Roberts shipped incredible Californian wines to the UK and we were all spoilt for choice.

In the intervening 25 or so years, Californian wine has lost its lustre in the UK thanks to exorbitant pricing and a scarcity of decent wine (they tend to keep the best wines to themselves).

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This mood was lifted at a recent Roberson Wine tasting where 17 estates were on show under the banner New California'. It was a triumphant event and I am fired up again about the excitement and class shown.

Change is happening, with lower alcohol and less oak. I also learned about the movement. You should have a read.

This devastating chardonnay, a product of a collaboration between Rajat Parr (wine director for the Michael Mina restaurant empire), Charles Banks (formerly managing partner at Screaming Eagle) and winemaker Sashi Morman is a case in point.

It shows as much finesse and lan as any chardonnay I can think of. I urge you to peruse the Roberson Californian collection it is fascinating and rewarding in equal measure.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the InternationalWine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year (www.matthewjukes.com).

Matthew Jukes has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books.

Matthew regularly lectures, judges, speaks at wine conferences and runs masterclass tastings for both corporate and private clients all over the world. Matthew is also the creator of his ground-breaking initiative, the One Day Wine School, an indulgent day of tasting and learning first performed in 2006.

He has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006 and has written a weekly column for the Daily Mail’s Weekend Magazine since 1999. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website, www.matthewjukes.com.

Matthew is one of the world’s leading experts on Australian wine and, with Brisbane-based wine writer Tyson Stelzer, runs an annual competition in Australia to find ‘The Great Australian Red’. He was made Honorary Australian of the Year in the UK at the 2012 Australia Day Foundation Gala dinner.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.