Lush Hills

Delightful San Martin wines

TASTING FLIGHTS Michael and Stephanie Demaree with Pia Walawalkar enjoying the ambiance at Clos LaChance Winery. Photo: Bev Stenehjem

We passed row after row of grapevines along the driveway to Clos LaChance Winery—all 150 planted acres lush against the hills of CordeValle. With a gorgeous tasting room and a large patio overlooking rolling hills this is one of our most beautiful wineries.


There were three tasting flights to choose from: Red/White, Red and Special Select. I chose the Red/White flight which started with their Grenache based 2016 Rose. At $20, this Rose is done in the French style and is delightfully dry and crisp with tart strawberry flavors and a mineral finish.


Although two of the five Chardonnay offerings are sold-out, leaving fans eagerly awaiting their next vintage, I really enjoyed their 2015 Reserve Chardonnay ($30), which spent 14 months in French Oak and tasted like peach jam spread on buttered toast.


The 2015 Santa Cruz Mountain Pinot Noir ($34) blended from several blocks and made in the California style has a great nose. It is an earthy wine of dried cherry, mushroom and spice.


With my last taste I detected eucalyptus and dried cranberry in the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)—which finished smoothly.


Flights of five pours, positioned vertically on a wrought iron wine glass tree stand, are provided free to club members and, depending on their club membership level, up to 12 of their guests.  

Bev Stenehjem
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About Bev Stenehjem
Bev Stenehjem is a wine columnist for South Valley Magazine and is the author of the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley, Arcadia Publishing. Bev also promotes the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley association on Facebook and Twitter. Reach her at [email protected].