The Concannon "Conservancy" wines are sourced from special vineyard land located in California's Livermore Valley. It's special because a number of growers have placed their land into a legal trust that protects against urban development forever. These wines are available nationally, but they are a smaller production than the standard Concannon wines.

On the nose I get aromas of creamy vanilla, toasted oak, lemon, and some tropical fruit notes like papaya and guava. It's quite a nice bouquet that reminds me of some of the fabulous experiences I've had with California Chardonnay earlier in my wine career. I have to admit that my palate has somewhat shifted to a more subtle style of Chardonnay with perhaps a bit more minerality as opposed to the creamy vanilla and butter notes. However, every now and then I love to indulge in the deliciousness of these type of wines.

On the palate the wine has a round and creamy-like texture and flavors of sweet apple, pear, lemon curd, vanilla, butter, and hints of nutmeg spice make up the tasting profile. The alcohol spikes just a tad on the finish, but It's not all that intrusive.

Overall the wine is very serviceable and one that I think many people would enjoy. Like I said before, it's not really my style and to be completely honest, before I tried it I probably could have told you what it was going to taste like. It just lacks a bit of depth and sense of place, but it's still nice wine. 88 points  (good value at $15)

90 point wines under $20 at Wine.com. Shop Now!