2022 Diana’s Chardonnay
California AVA
Tasting Notes
“Straw hue. Abundant scents of butterscotch, ripe apple pie, fig, kiwi, and grapefruit leap out of the glass. With some time, secondary notes of coconut, passionfruit, nectarine, and papaya round out the aroma profile. Upon taste, these qualities persist and intensify, leading towards a vibrant texture. With lively acidity, this blend of the best of the best Chardonnay barrels offers a bright, youthful, and rich finish. Enjoy now through 2035.”
~Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
April 2024
“The 2022 Chardonnay Diana’s is a blend of sites in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Sta. Rita Hills, Arroyo Grande Valley and Chalone AVAs. Aged for 17 months in 57% new French oak, the Diana’s is an opulent, concentrated wine with a spine of salinity braced against tropical inflections of pineapple, mango and papaya. A hint of reduction adds further intrigue, pushing this almost into the Old World realm, but there’s no denying the California sunshine. Rounded and sweet at its core, there’s just a ton of stuffing here; I sense this is holding a lot in reserve. I followed this bottle for three days, and it only got better. That bodes well for the future. For now, a healthy decant wouldn’t hurt.” Billy Norris, Antonio Galloni’s Vinous, August 2024
“This barrel selection is a beautiful rendition of classic California Chardonnay sourced from distinctive, cool growing areas of the state. Very flavorful with generous orchard and tropical fruit beautifully balanced by vivacious acidity and a grippy structure. While it sees a bit more new oak than Testarossa’s other Chardonnays, it’s seamlessly integrated and contributes to the full, rich mouthfeel. Sourced from Sta. Rita Hills, Arroyo Grande Valley and Chalone; pressed whole cluster and fermented in French oak. Aged 17 months in 57% new French oak. pH 3.35, 14.2% alc. This is the best Diana’s Chardonnay to date, in our opinion.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review, May 2024
Production Data
Growers: Various
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: California AVA
Viticulture Practice: Sourced from Certified Sustainable and Organic vineyards
Vinification: Pressed whole-cluster, fermented in French oak barrels
Cooperage & Barrel Ageing: 17 months in French oak, 57% new
Production: 14 barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: 3.35 pH, 7.33 TA (g/L)
Alcohol: 14.3%
Harvest: August 12– September 29, 2022, hand harvested
Club Release: June 2024
Release Price: $86
Drink Now through 2035
Past Vintage Wine Scores
“The 2021 Diana’s Chardonnay is 45% Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. After a little coaxing, the nose erupts with powerful notes of apricots, pineapple upside-down cake, and guava with nuances of candied ginger, beeswax, and cashews. The medium-bodied palate delivers impactful tropical and stone fruit layers with spicy accents and well-knit freshness, finishing long and creamy.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW
The Wine Independent
February 2024
“The 2021 Chardonnay Diana’s is a selection of the best barrels across various sites. It offers terrific depth and cut, balancing the textural richness and vibrancy elements found throughout this range. White flowers, pear, tangerine oil, mint and chalk lend notable energy to this mid-weight, wonderfully transparent Chardonnay.”
Antonio Galloni
Vinous
November 2023
“Testarossa’s Diana’s Chardonnay is a special lot selection drawn from what the winery believes to be the very best barrels in any given vintage regardless of vineyard source, and, as has perennially been the case in the past, it is again a remarkable blended wine that is far more than a sum of its parts. It is a convincing rebuttal to arguments that a classic, genuinely great wine must first and always be a reflection of the specific place in which it was grown and is, instead, one that keenly reminds that meticulous selection and artful winemaking are no less important than the imprint of terroir. It is as deep, as rich and as expressive as any Chardonnay on the Testarossa roster, and it is the most compellingly complex and polished of them all. Bravo.”
Connoisseurs’ Guide
May 2022
“This glorious wine is a blend of premium lots that, surprisingly delivers a catalog of the best qualities of each of them; lush with toast vanilla and a balanced charm.”
Anthony Dias Blue
July 2022
“Savory aromas of fresh straw, lemon curd, rosemary and sliced almond. Medium-to full-bodied with a lot of elegance and refinement. Fresh fruit with toasted nuts and roasted herbs. Layered. Gentle tannins steady the flavors and give structure to the palate. Delicious. Drink or hold.”
James Suckling
May 2022
“Drawn from selected barrels deemed to be the very best from the many far-flung vineyard sources responsible for its makers extensive line-up of accomplished Chardonnays, Diana’s takes its accustomed place at the head of Testarossa’s very fine 2019 class. Ripe and juicy and decked out by lovely, perfectly integrated oak, it is a wine that manages to be as genuinely sophisticated as it is so wonderfully rich, and, from its balance and persistence to its marvelous layering and compelling complexity, it is a wine that collectors of the state’s very finest Chardonnays will not want to miss. Bravo… once again!”
Connoisseurs’ Guide
May 2021
“Green-hued gold. An expansive, complex bouquet evokes spice and mineral-accented citrus and pit fruits, pungent flowers, vanilla and saffron. Broad and fleshy on the palate, offering intense nectarine, lemon curd, pineapple and honey flavors and hints of buttered toast and fennel. Finishes impressively long and gently chewy, leaving juicy tropical and citrus fruit notes behind. 61% new French oak.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
May 2022
White Wine of the Year
“Year in and year out, Testarossa’s Diana’s Chardonnay has proven to be among the cream of the crop and gets the nod as our favorite Chardonnay of the year.” January 2021
“We feel compelled to point out each year that this wine’s simple designation as having been grown in California is more than a little misleading, as Testarossa’s Diana’s bottlings are flagship Chardonnays drawn from the winery’s very finest lots, and the 2018 version is everything that a “reserve” offering should be. It is as complex as it is deep and impeccably balanced with up-front richness to spare yet is also a wine that continues to reveal more and more with each successive sniff and sip. Drink it now, if you will, and there are plenty of reasons to do so, but it has more in store for those who are willing to opt for patient cellaring and will increasingly attest to that fact as the next half-dozen years come and go.”
Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine
November 2020
Top 10 Wines of the Year
Charles Olkin, Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine
“Do not be misled by this one’s designation of origin simply as California, for it is, in fact, Testarossa’s flagship Chardonnay made from a selection of the winery’s best lots and is, in every way, a wine of great stature and depth. It is enormously fruity, beautifully proportioned and decked out with especially lovely oak, and all of its many parts combine in an uncommonly seamless whole. From its complexity and richness to its impeccable balance, it is the stuff of which serious Chardonnay is made, and, while certain to age gracefully for years, it is so satisfying now that impatient drinking cannot be condemned. ”
Connoisseurs’ Guide
“Light shimmering yellow. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes mineral-accented pear, orange, mango and jasmine scents, along with building suggestions of honey and vanilla. Broad and fleshy in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet, palate-staining tropical and orchard fruit and vanilla pastry flavors supported by an undercurrent of juicy acidity. The floral note comes back steadily as the wine opens up, and then carries through the impressively long, seamless finish, which features lingering lees and mineral notes.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
November 2019
“Golden color; smooth and rich, juicy and elegant; toasty, ripe and lovely; balanced and racy, subtle and long.”
Anthony Dias Blue
June 2018
“Light brilliant yellow. Honeydew melon, nectarine and pear qualities on the highly perfumed, finely etched nose. Shows excellent depth as well as clarity on the palate, offering an array of concentrated, finely detailed orchard and pit fruit flavors and suggestions of gingery spices and toasted bread. Shows superb energy and mineral cut on the energetic finish, which features a sexy floral quality and a sweetening touch of vanilla.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
June 2018
“With a wonderfully gregarious, multilayered nose of guava, pineapple, ripe peaches and pink grapefruit plus supporting notions of spice box, candied ginger and toasted nuts, the medium-bodied 2015 Chardonnay Diana’s is tightly wound in the mouth, offering glimpses at the many tropical and savory layers, finishing long and vibrant.”
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
September 2017
“The winery’s best-barrel bottling of Chardonnay, this excels on all fronts, showing lemon peels, browned butter, creamy lily and pan-seared apples on the light, crisp yet savory nose. The mouthfeel is rich but decorated with zesty line of salty acidity that cuts through the lemon-curd flavors. Altogether mouthwatering, it’s perfect for a seaside meal.”
Matt Kettman
Wine Enthusiast
November 2016
“An 8-12 barrel selection, the 2013 Chardonnay Diana’s Reserve is up with the crème de la crème from the vintage. Possessing similar aromatics to the Fogstone Vineyard release, with beautiful lemon rind, citrus blossom, honeysuckle and hints of toasted bread, it’s medium-bodied, firm and crisp on the palate, with fabulous purity and precision. This is pure class, and I suspect will drink nicely for at least another 7-8 years.”
Jeb Dunnuck
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Made from the best eight barrels in the winery, the 2012 Chardonnay Diana’s Reserve (100% Chardonnay aged 11.5 months in 42% new French oak) has a ripe, textured and decadent style to go with classy citrus blossom, ripe orchard fruits, white flowers and crème brûlée-like aromas and flavors. Like all of the Chardonnays from this estate, this beauty has notable freshness and purity, good concentration and plenty of length on the finish. It will deliver the goods for 3-4 years.”
Jeb Dunnuck
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
October 2014
“The top wine of the estate and made from a selection of top barrels, the 2011 Chardonnay Diana’s is a stunner. Offering up lively, pure notes of mineral, marzipan and golden fruits, it flows onto the palate with rich, full, mid-palate, beautifully integrated acidity and superb focus on the finish. It should continue to impress through 2018. Drink now-2018. Founded in 1993 by Rob and Diana Jensen, with the wines made by Bill Brosseau, Testarossa Winery is located just outside of Los Gatos (just south of San Jose) and pulls grapes from a star-studded cast of vineyards throughout the central coast. All of the wines have beautiful purity of fruit and classical, perfectly made profiles. They also remain reasonably priced given the quality.”
Jeb Dunnuck
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
August 2013
“Layers of fruit wrap around the palate with gorgeous richness and density in the 2010 Chardonnay Diana’s, a selection of the best barrels of Chardonnay in the cellar. Clean underlying mineral notes and sweet, perfumed aromatics round out the Diana’s in all directions. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
August 2012
“Diana’s is Testarossa’s best barrel blend from its various vineyards from around the coast, hence the California appellation. It’s certainly ultrarich, almost decadent, with the apricot, pear and honey sweetness of a late-harvest dessert wine. Yet its thoroughly dry, and finishes with clean, minerally acidity. Deserves its reserve-level price.”
Steve Heimoff
Wine Enthusiast
“A best-of-barrels selection from the winery’s various vineyards, this is a lush, intricate Chardonnay made in the modern style. It’s fantastically rich in pineapple tart flavors, with the sweet, smoky crust, and more acidic citrus notes of Meyer lemons and limes. Oak aging and lees add fortunate layers of buttered toast and cream. Very intricate, with Chablisian dryness and minerality. Now–2014.”
Steve Heimoff
Wine Enthusiast
“This is a blend of Testarossa’s far-flung vineyards across California, hence the statewide appellation. It’s extraordinarily rich and explosive in apricots, pineapples, guavas, nectarines, buttered toast and smoky, caramelized oak. So muscular that you might want to age it for a year or two, to let it calm down.”
Steve Heimoff
Wine Enthusiast
“Rich and ripe in the Testarossa style, and delightfully outgoing, this full-bodied effort is loaded with bright apple and citrus fruit aromas and while it has been steeped in very fancy oak barrels, it does not sell itself to that oak and instead comes across as full of balanced, attractive personality. It also carries a lighter, almost candied edge that is not so evident in most of the winery’s other offerings reviewed here.”
Charles Olken & Steve Elliot
Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine
February 2008
“Firm and focused, with lots of intense, complex flavors built around green apple, nectarine and light toasty oak. Folds together nicely on the finish, where the flavors are both layered and delicate. Drink now through 2011. 297 cases made.”
James Laube
Wine Spectator
“Shows the richness and complexity of all Testarossa’s Chardonnays, with masses of tropical fruit and oak flavors balanced by zesty acidity. But this wine, with a statewide appellation, has a mouthwatering minerality, a zesty tang of steel, that gives the wine extra layers. What a delicious, exciting Chardonnay.”
Steve Heimoff
Wine Enthusiast
2022 Diana’s Chardonnay – Barrel Composition
| Barrel | Vineyard (Clone) | Cooper | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22119 | Brosseau (Wente) | Remond | Vosges Medium Toast Long 3-yr air dried |
| 22264 | Fogstone (15) | François Frères | Very Special Grain Medium Toast 2-yr air dried |
| 17322 | Fogstone (76) | Bel Air | Elegance Medium Toast Long 2-yr air dried |
| 21090 | Fogstone (76) | Mercurey | Selection Nicolas Light and Long 2-yr air dried |
| 14290 | Fogstone (76) | Remond | Vosges Medium Toast Long 3-yr air dried |
| 19395 | Fogstone (76) | François Frères | Very Special Grain Medium Toast 2-yr air dried |
| 22055 | La Rinconada (Wente) | Billon | Select Extra Tight Grain Light & Long Toast 3-yr air dried |
| 22258 | La Rinconada (Wente) | François Frères | Very Special Grain Medium Toast 3-yr air dried |
| 22284 | Rincon (4) | François Frères | Tight Grain Medium Toast 3-yr air dried |
| 22281 | Rosemary’s (96) | François Frères | Tight Grain Medium Toast 3-yr air dried |
| 22142 | Sanford & Benedict (Wente) | Remond | Vosges Medium Toast Long 3-yr air dried |
| 21300 | Soberanes (Wente) | Billon | Select Extra Tight Grain Light & Long Toast 3-yr air dried |
| 22311 | Tondre (76) | François Frères | Tight Grain Medium Toast 4-yr air dried |
| 20152 | Tondre (76) | François Frères | Tight Grain Medium Plus 2-yr air dried |
Tight Grain (TG), Very Special Grain (VSG), Very Tight Grain (VTG), Citeaux Forest (CF), Allier Forest (AF), Vosges Forest (VF), Icone Blanc (IB), Center of France (CoF)
California AVA
Don’t let the California appellation designation fool you, our Jensen Reserve Society wines are made from our top selection barrels that come from the best vineyards for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in California, from the Russian River Valley to the north to the Santa Rita Hills to the south. Each year, Director of Winemaking Bill Brosseau and his team select the top barrels from more than a thousand to make this special wine that bares the Jensen Family’s names – the matriarch “Diana’s” and the combination of Nick and Claire for Niclaire. It is our highest achievement in winemaking.