Mer Soleil estate spotlight
Wagner Family of Wine introduces Mer Soleil Reserve and the coastal conditions that give it a dramatic, generous style.
2024 Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay Monterey, USA
Coastal fog slows the morning; sunshine and wind finish the work.
Mer Soleil Reserve turns Monterey's long, cool growing season into Chardonnay with ripe citrus, toasted almond and a broad, creamy feel. At $18 a bottle, the 2024 delivers the producer's signature richness at an easy pour-now price.
12 bottles: $216 • ships free
A coastal Chardonnay built for richness without losing lift.
Mer Soleil Reserve brings together a long Monterey growing season, the Wagner family's Chardonnay focus and a price that makes its generous style easy to put on the table.
Coastal tension
Morning fog and cool air slow the start of each day. Bright sun and gusting wind then move the fruit toward ripeness across a long growing season.
Reserve richness
The exact-vintage producer notes point to custard, toasted almond and rich fruit, with lemon and lime bringing contrast rather than sharpness.
A current, exact bottle
This is the 2024 Monterey County Reserve Chardonnay in 750 mL format, matched to an exact-vintage bottle reference and verified at 14.5% ABV.
Straightforward value
At $18, the bottle sits below the store's $23 winery-price reference and the exact-vintage Wine.com listing. The market gap is modest, so the wine leads on style rather than a savings claim.
Creamy first, citrus clean at the finish.
The profile is broad and polished, with savory-toast detail around a bright citrus core.
Regional 2024 reports describe a more normal growing season after the late 2023 harvest, with cool stretches and harvest timing between the early 2022 and late 2023 vintages. Monterey Chardonnay producers reported freshness, acidity and concentration; this context is regional, not a claim about one Mer Soleil vineyard block.
Ripe lemon and lime lead, followed by custard, toasted almond and a gentle floral note.
Full and creamy, with enough citrus acidity to keep the texture composed rather than heavy.
Clean and lingering. Serve cool, around 50 to 55°F, and let the first glass warm slightly for fuller texture.
A reserve style shaped by restraint inside richness.
Mer Soleil builds generous Chardonnay around Monterey's cool marine rhythm, then keeps citrus and acidity visible through the texture.
Coastal source: Mer Soleil began in the Santa Lucia Highlands and now draws Chardonnay from a broader reach of Monterey County, following the cool air, bright light and long season that first attracted the Wagner family.
Established method: Producer notes for prior Reserve vintages describe using malolactic fermentation on only a portion of the wine to hold firm acidity inside a creamy style. That is house-method context, not a vintage-specific 2024 technical claim.
Winemaker focus: Charlie Wagner began making Chardonnay while still in high school. His Reserve expression favors dramatic texture and ripe fruit, then uses lemon-lime clarity to keep the finish clean.
Where sea, sun and a family Chardonnay idea meet.
Mer Soleil's story starts with Monterey's coastal weather and a move south from Napa in search of a different kind of Chardonnay.
The Wagner family planted its first Chardonnay vineyards near the Monterey coast in 1988. Morning fog, bright sunshine and powerful afternoon wind created the long growing season they had been seeking beyond Napa.
Charlie Wagner grew up inside that experiment and started making Chardonnay in high school. Mer Soleil began in the Santa Lucia Highlands, then expanded its search across Monterey County while keeping the same coastal idea at the center.
The name joins sea and sun, the cooling and ripening forces that shape the region. In the glass, that contrast appears as creamy breadth checked by lemon-lime clarity and a clean close.
Two rich plates, each brightened by the wine's citrus line.
Pair creamy texture with sweet shellfish or crisp roast chicken, then use lemon and herbs to echo the wine's fresher side.
Both dishes are direct, generous and comfortable beside a full-bodied Chardonnay; choose the seafood for occasion, or the roast for an easy table.
Serve cool, not icy, around 50 to 55°F. No decant is needed; ten minutes in the glass lets the texture and citrus settle together.
Butter-Poached Lobster Tails
Clarified butter, garlic, dry white wine, lemon and fresh herbs keep the lobster luxurious but focused.
Why it works: Sweet lobster and beurre monté meet the wine's creamy body, while lemon and herbs pick up its citrus lift.
View Recipe for Butter-Poached Lobster Tails (opens in a new tab)
Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken
A whole chicken roasted with butter, rosemary and lemon brings crisp skin, tender meat and a savory center.
Why it works: Roasted skin and butter mirror the toasted, creamy notes; rosemary and lemon keep the pairing lively.
View Recipe for Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken (opens in a new tab)Choose it when Chardonnay should feel generous, polished and ready now.
The 2024 Mer Soleil Reserve carries real Monterey coastal character into a plush, immediately enjoyable bottle at $18.
Open it with lemon-herb chicken when crisp skin and savory juices need a broad white with a clean finish.
Let butter-poached lobster draw out the custard and toasted-almond side while lemon keeps every bite bright.
Stock a few for guests who like full texture, ripe fruit and a polished style that asks for no waiting.
Bring Monterey's sea-and-sun contrast to the next table and let the final citrus note invite another pour.
