Wine of the Week: 2009 Antinori Family Estate Chardonnay ‘Antica’

The Antinori family now counts 26 generations in the wine business in Tuscany, Italy. That’s quite a history. But in the Napa Valley, it’s much shorter. Though Marchese Piero Antinori bought an estate on Atlas Peak in the 1980s, the family produced its first wine, a Cabernet, only in 2001.

The 2009 Antica Chardonnay is one of the finest Chardonnays I’ve tasted recently from California. I love its minerality and bright acidity, the light touch with oak. Each sip reveals something different — citrus, smoke, stone. The texture is gorgeous; the finish is long and lush.

Drink it with oysters, with chilled Dungeness crab, seared scallops or lobster.

Quick swirl

Region: Napa Valley

Price: From $24 to $37

Style: Elegant and focused

What it goes with: Oysters, chilled crab, scallops, lobster

Where to find it: K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood, (323) 464-9463, https://www.klwines.com; L.A. Wine Co. in Marina del Rey, (310) 306-9463, https://www.lawineco.com; Wally’s Wine & Spirits in West Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606, https://www.wallywine.com; the Wine Club in Santa Ana, (714) 835-6485, https://www.thewineclub.com; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454, https://www.winex.com; and the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, https://www.winehouse.com.

[email protected]