Gary Farrell Chardonnay Offering over 40 different rare single vineyard wines going back to the 2012 vintage on SALE!!
Be careful to trust a person who does not like wine.
Karl Marx
I will have to agree with Marx on this subject and I will add this caveat for Chardonnay Lovers- Do not trust California oenophiles that do not like the wines of Gary Farrell Vineyards. There are few things that every major critic agrees on but the quality that this producer has put forth since their first vintage is second to none in the California wine game.
We may have the largest collection of vintage California chardonnay in the world at the moment. And the same can be said for Gary Farrell chardonnay with over 40 different wines going back to the 2012 vintage!
These were all stored at Wine Watch since they came from the winery to one of their biggest chardonnay fans in south Florida. The Chardonnay Ray collection may be one of the world’s biggest vintage chardonnay collections in the world. We will be hosting several tastings in the months and years to come featuring these wines as the audience for vintage whites is much smaller than vintage reds but we are doing scientific work with wines here at Wine Watch and we also believe that white wines matter and deserve the same attention as reds.
The Gary Farrell story begins in the Russian River Valley, where Gary Farrell made his first wines on handshake deals with the region's iconic growers - Rochioli, Allen, Bacigalupi - who captured the wonders of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Today, our odyssey is no different. We begin and end in the vineyard, searching for the exceptional and sharing that with you.
Gary Farrell is a California winemaker born in the 1952 vintage. Gary specialized in the production of Pinot noir and Chardonnay from some of the top vineyard sites in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley.
Farrell was born in Pasadena, California on April 20, 1952. He studied Political Science and Criminal Law at Sonoma State University in 1970. This relocation to Sonoma County placed him in one of California's most promising wine regions, and he ultimately chose a career in wine production.
Farrell's early mentors included Joe Rochioli, Robert Stemmler, Davis Bynum and Tom Dehlinger. After several years as an apprentice, he took the head-winemaker position at Davis Bynum Winery in 1978. Soon thereafter, he produced inaugural releases for Rochioli Winery, Limerick Lane and Moshin Vineyards.
During the mid-1990s, Farrell purchased land and developed Starr Ridge and Cresta Ridge vineyards. In 1998, he constructed Pinot noir facilities on a hilltop near Healdsburg for the production of the wine with his own namesake.
In 2004, Farrell sold the “Gary Farrell” brand and winery to Allied Domecq. Today the winery is owned by Bill Price, the managing partner of Kistler Vineyard and owner of Three Sticks and The Adobe, Lutum and the Durell and Gap’s Crown vineyards; and a group of investors including Pete Scott, the former CFO of Beringer Wine Estates; and Walt Klenz; former president and CEO of Beringer Wine Estates.
In 2007, Farrell partnered with longtime colleagues Bill Hambrecht and Denise Sanders to micro-produce Pinot noir and Chardonnay under the new Alysian label.
The Russian River Valley AVA is comprised of six distinct neighborhoods: Middle Reach, Santa Rosa Plain, Green Valley, Sebastopol Hills, Laguna Ridge, and Eastern Hills. Each has its own story to tell, and Gary and his minions have spent decades discovering, learning, and sharing those stories through their collection of site-specific wines. In the spirit of the founder Gary Farrell innate curiosity and thirst for new stories to smell, taste, and feel has expanded beyond the Russian River Valley and continues to provide the guiding force behind Gary Farrell Winery with constant inspiration.
The Largest Collection of Vintage Gary Farrell Chardonnay on the Planet Earth on SALE!!
2020 Gary Farrell La Rinconada Chardonnay Sta Rita Hills
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(90 Points) Quite steely, yet a touch tart on the nose, this bottling is crisp and earthy at first. The palate leans into warmer apple flavors, while the earthy hints of soil and wild herb persist into the finish. — Matt Kettmann Issue 3-1-2024 Wine Enthusiast
2020 Gary Farrell Westside Farms Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(94 Points) A restrained but attractive earthy and oaky wood-smoke character lends a spicy appeal to this medium-bodied but silky-textured wine, keeping it in the complex, non-fruity mode. Toast, forest floor and brothy notes continue to develop with each sip, making the wine fascinating and different. — Jim Gordon Issue Date 12-31-2023 Wine Enthusiast
2020 Gary Farrell Martaella Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(92 Points) Nicely balancing richness and bright fruit flavors, this medium-bodied wine shows a mouth-filling texture, juicy pears and apples and buttery accents all on a vivid, nicely refreshing frame. — Jim Gordon Issue 7-1-2023 Wine Enthusiast
2020 Gary Farrell Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(92 Points) This fruit-forward wine blends tangy acidity with good, ripe Pippin apples and subtle touches of vanilla and butter. Medium bodied, the wine has the verve for serving as a mouth-watering aperitif and with salads and seafood. — Jim Gordon Issue 7-1-2023 Wine Enthusiast
2020 Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
(95 Points) Juicy green apples, Bosc pears and tangy citrus notes harmonize elegantly in this well-balanced, appetizing and well-concentrated wine. A vein of fresh acidity enlivens the smooth texture and carries vivid flavors through the finish. From one of Sonoma County's iconic vineyards, drink through 2030. — Jim Gordon Isuue Date 7-1-2023 Wine Enthusiast)
2020 Gary Farrell Rochioli-Allen Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 12
2019 Gary Farrell La Rinconada Chardonnay Sta Rita Hills
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(90 Points) There's an earthy and tart element to this wine, starting on the nose with apple-skin, lime-peel and light lanolin aromas, as well as a touch of toast. There's more body to the palate, with broader orange-peel and poached apple flavors. — Matt Kettmann Issue Date 10-1-2022 Wine Enthusiast
2019 Gary Farrell Rochioli-Allen Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 12
(93 Points) Handsome oak spices top this full-bodied and well-balanced wine. A touch of wood smoke and earthy, toasted almond accents weave through nicely ripe pears and apples. The wine shows great layering and complexity, with a lingering finish. — Jim Gordon Issue Date 12-31-2022 Wine Enthusiast
2019 Gary Farrell Durell Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
(95 Points) Robust aromas of apple, pear and oak lead to a midpalate of freshness and great refinement in this stellar white from the great vineyard. The freshness evolves to reveal a luxurious, brioche-filled finish of subtle richness and aromatic intensity that is decadent yet bright. — Virginie Boone Issue Date 7-1-2022 Wine Enthusiast
2019 Gary Farrell Olivet Lane Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $49.00 Sale Price: $39.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(93 Points) From the great site originally planted in 1975, this light-bodied white is bright in tangerine and lemon peel, with an ongoing bite of acidity. Anise, honeysuckle and a touch of oak provide a subtle roundness and richness on the palate. — Virginie Boone Issue Date 5-1-2022 Wine Enthusiast
2019 Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(93 Points) Steely in green apple, pear and Meyer lemon, this is a balanced and light wine, aged nine months in French oak, only 35% of it new. A lightness of baking spice and toasted notes add to a rich mouthfeel that complements fresh acidity. — Virginie Boone Issue Date 11-1-2022 Wine Enthusiast
2019 Gary Farrell Russian River Selection Chardonnay Sonoma County
Price: $49.00 Sale Price: $34.00 Quantity in Stock: 12
(94 Points) This outstanding wine offers a full-range of complex flavors, texture and depth, the grapes sourced from a who's who of sites, including Bacigalupi, Westside Farms and Rochioli. Gravenstein apple, Meyer lemon, tangerine and quenching acidity meld with a butterscotch accent and a balanced, rich texture. — Virginie Boone Issue 12-31-21 Wine Enthusiast
2019 Gary Farrell Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
2018 Gary Farrell Durell Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 24
(95 Points -- Wine Enthusiast) From the great site, this white opens in textured layers of anise, hazelnut and stone. Persistent flavors of lemon and tangerine give it additional elegance and a lively character, building to a refined, lengthy finish. (VB) Review Date: 03/2021
2018 Gary Farrell Olivet Lane Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $55.00 Sale Price: $44.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
Attractive citrus notes of lemon tart, grapefruit and lime zest initially open up in the glass, followed by rich aromas of honeysuckle, lemongrass and pie crust. The palate opens up with fl avors of roasted Meyer lemon, wildfl ower honey, apricot and peach. The texture is rich and creamy with an underlying layer of acidity and loads of fleshy fruit that linger into a persistent finish.
2018 Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $62.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(95 Points) Steely, spicy and youthfully grippy, this is a powerful white that's buzzy in acidity. Tangerine, wet stone, pear and vanilla play around a supple, seamless midpalate. This will be enjoyable for years to come; enjoy from 2028–2030. — Virginie Boone Wine Enthusiast
2018 Gary Farrell Martaella Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
2018 Gary Farrell Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(95 Points) With a crisp, focused entry of fresh acidity, this impressive white evolves to show a soft, textured midpalate, with touches of salt, stone and apricot. The latter fruit character is joined by complex hints of Meyer lemon and Gravenstein apple. It is cohesive throughout, with great structure and elegance. — Virginie Boone, Issue Date 10-1-2021 Wine Enthusiast
2018 Gary Farrell Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(91 Points) From the long-standing grape grower's Goddard Ranch, on the westside of Westside Road, this rich, layered wine traffics in caramel, toasted apple and baked pineapple. Lush and opulent in style, it is rounded and rich, finishing in a moderate trace of acidity. — Virginie Boone Issue Date 3-1-2021 Wine Enthusiast
2017 Gary Farrell Rochioli-Allen Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 14
(94 Points) With flavors of apple skin, stone and Meyer lemon, this resplendent white is lifted and complex. Fresh, focused acidity girds an array of texture and nuanced flavor. It's light on its feet yet fully memorable in its remarkable balance and lasting grace. — Virginie Boone Issue 12-1-2020 Wine Enthusiast
2017 Gary Farrell Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $62.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(94 Points) Structured and forceful, this vineyard-designate wine offers a desirable mix of mango and Meyer lemon. The medium-bodied palate retains underlying acidity that brightens lasting notes of toffee and oak. (VB), Review Date: 11/2020 Wine Enthusiast
2017 Gary Farrell Westside Farms Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(94 Points) Reductive on the nose, this wine opens slowly into a light, bright floral tone. It boasts underlying density and elegance, eventually showing an explosive mix of lemon verbena, ginger and green apple. (VB) Review Date: 11/2020 Wine Enthusiast
2016 Gary Farrell Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2016 Gary Farrell Westside Farms Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $60.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(94 Points) Floral, lively and undeniably vibrant in acidity and freshness, this wine dazzles in tones of guava, tangerine and fig. Crisp, balanced and complex, it delivers flavor and texture in waves alongside a stony minerality without ever letting oak get the last say. — Virginie Boone Issue 11-1-2019 Wine Enthusiast
2016 Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 4
(94 Points) The beautiful Rochioli site is divinely represented here, offering a lush, plush wine with an effusive nose of spicy oak. On the palate, the acidity is firm and focused, adding to a complex layering of texture and well-defined flavors of green apple, grapefruit and lime. — Virginie Boone Issue 12-31-2018 Wine Enthusiast
2016 Gary Farrell Durell Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(93 Points) Spicy, briny and generous in flavor and texture, this is an elegant white wine that is restrained and refined. Lemon rind, peach and jasmine mingle on the nose and palate to offer lasting length and complexity. — Virginie Boone Issue 3-1-2020 Wine Enthusiast
2016 Gary Farrell Russian River Selection Chardonnay Sonoma County
Price: $35.00 Sale Price: $29.00 Quantity in Stock: 24
(92 Points) Powerful, with finely detailed dried apricot, apple and green pear flavors, supported by firm acidity. The broad finish offers buttery notes that are well-integrated with spicy accents. (KM) Review Date: 12/2018 Wine Spectator
2015 Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 12
(95 Points -- Wine Enthusiast) What a beautiful wine from the famed site still farmed by the Rochioli family. This is fresh, fruity and layered in citrus and Gravenstein apple, with interweaving acidity through flavors of lemon and lime. It has a stony quality that speaks to underlying minerality and a jolt of briny, salty air. — Virginie Boone Issue 3-1-2018
2015 Gary Farrell Rochioli-Allen Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 12
(95 Points) This wine strikes supple fruit tones against broad minerality. Meyer lemon and tangerine flavors are complemented by salty stone and butter. Bright acidity carries the palate as a lovely note of orange blossom persists. (VB) Review Date: 06/2018 Wine Enthusiast
2015 Gary Farrell Westside Farms Chardonnay Russian River
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 6
(95 Points) Nutty and tart in acidity, this is complex in flavors of Granny Smith apple, lime and tangerine. The texture on the palate is lush yet structured in acidity, which gives this wine cellar-worthy potential. Enjoy 2025–2030. — Virginie Boone Issue 10-1-2018 Wine Enthusiast
2015 Gary Farrell Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2014 Gary Farrell Rochioli-Allen Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $59.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 26
(95 Points) Dark yellow in color, this wine shows tangy green apple and a richer, more concentrated element of applespice cake, with supportive, balanced acidity. With a bright, lifted finish, this less-expensive offering compared with many of the producer’s single vineyard designates never lets up on complexity or deliciousness. Review Date: 02/2017 Wine Enthusiast
2014 Gary Farrell Westside Farms Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 12
(92 Points) Striking for the rich core of anise-tinged green apple and citrus flavors, shaded by light cedar details. The long, persistent aftertaste keeps echoing the core fruit themes. Drink now through 2022. (JL) Review Date: 09/2017 Wine Spectator
2014 Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(94 Points) Smoothly seductive, this wine showcases an amazing site with great skill, coaxing high-toned squeezes of mandarin orange, honeysuckle and anise from a foundation of balance and acidity. Luxurious, the oak plays a supporting role, never distracting from a core of freshness and finesse. — Virginie Boone 10/1/2016 Wine Enthusiast
2014 Gary Farrell Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $60.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 45
(96 Points) Dark gold in color, this is a memorably luxurious and vivacious wine, tangy in grapefruit, burnt orange and cardamom. Layered and complex, it evolves as it opens to a lingering tease of butterscotch topped in nutmeg. It is an outstanding vision of an outstanding site, a wine for the ages. — Virginie Boone Issue Date 6-1-2017 Wine Enthusiast
2014 Gary Farrell Durell Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $55.00 Sale Price: $44.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 Points) From the rocky, volcanic soils of Durell, this white is exuberant in salty rock and sea spray, showing plenty of influence from the Pacific Ocean to its west. Sturdy in structure and length, the fruit is twisted in pink grapefruit and crisp apple, its underbelly a richer, warmer expression of toffee and caramel. — Virginie Boone Issue Date 6/1/2017 Wine Enthusiast
2013 Gary Farrell Olivet Lane Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $47.00 Sale Price: $39.00 Quantity in Stock: 49
(94 Points) Almond and anise open what evolves into a concentrated expression of a stellar vineyard site in a great vintage in good winemaking hands. Honey and baked peach initially fool the palate into anticipating that this wine might head into full-blown hedonism, but subtle layers of lemon, grapefruit and pear keep it crisp, fresh and ultimately complex. Creamy, it retains plenty of acidity for balance. (VB) Review Date: 02/2016 Wine Enthusiast
2013 Gary Farrell Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
(90 Points) From the historic family-owned vineyard down a ways on Westside Road, this Bacigalupi wine is richer and more layered than some of the producer's other vineyard-designates, providing a meatier, more tropical edge of fleshy butter and nuttiness. The aromatics balance things out, sharing whispers of orange blossom and caramel. — Virginie Boone Issue Date 12-1-2015 Wine Enthusiast
2013 Gary Farrell Rochioli-Allen Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 38
(94 Points) Marshmallow and fig compote provide the sultry goods in this wine from two exceptional vineyard sites within the appellation's Middle Reach neighborhood. Borderline salty, with a scent of matchstick, it evolves in the glass into a complex, complete wine, elements of pear pie and lemon zest rising to the fore. — Virginie Boone, Issue 12-1-2016 Wine Enthusiast
2013 Gary Farrell Durell Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $60.00 Sale Price: $44.00 Quantity in Stock: 35
2012 Gary Farrell Westside Farms Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Price: $65.00 Sale Price: $49.00 Quantity in Stock: 6
(93 Points) Light and floral, this is a complex, well-integrated Chardonnay that's bursting in just-sliced pineapple, with a layering of butterscotch and caramel. It's richly textured yet nicely balanced between savory and sweet. The acidity upholds the wine from entering into dense territory, a celebration of one heck of a sunny vintage in a glass. — Virginie Boone, Issue 11-1-2014 Wine Enthusiast
We also have a few older vintage reds from Gary Farrell in the store on SALE!!
1999 Gary Farrell Encounter Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma
Price: $95.00 Sale Price: $79.00 Quantity in Stock: 9
(92 Points) “Smooth, smoky and stylish. Huge flavors of cassis and plum are rich yet controlled. The tannins are meaty and firm, but they should subside within a year or two. The coffee, toast and vanilla notes on the finish are just about perfect. This wine is right on, a reflection of Sonoma Cab at its best. — Michael Schachner” Wine Enthusiast.
2000 Gary Farrell Zinfandel Sonoma
Price: $45.00 Sale $39.60 Quantity in Stock: 8
Winemaker Notes An exotic, bold and rather forward style, with its well-extracted, ripe, spicy blackberry fruit aromas making quite an early statement. Yet, given its generous extract, this wine never looses focus on the keen balance between its assertive fruit flavors, lavish oak components and supporting tannins. Wonderful richness emerges in its long, full finish, where its tannins and freshening acidity bring a tremendous sense of stature and structure to a wine, which (while delicious as a youngster) is well suited for several years of careful cellaring. 100% Maple Vineyard 100% Dry Creek Valley 91% Zinfandel (52% from Tina's Block) 9% Petite Sirah
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