Wine review: 2012 Failla Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

The name, pronounced FAY-la, is Sicilian, specifically that of Anne-Marie Failla, who co-owns this small winery with her husband, winemaker Ehren Jordan. This is a Chardonnay to drink young. It’s lithe and elegant with lovely aromas of pear and lemon. Burgundian in style, the 2012 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay was aged in just 50% French oak, and of that only 15% was new oak.

It’s a great bottle to enjoy with oysters or clams on the half shell, with a steamed Dungeness crab or a thick slab of halibut.

Region: Sonoma Coast, California

Price: $34 to $36

Style: Lithe and elegant

What it goes with: Raw seafood, sushi, steamed crab, pan-roasted halibut or salmon

Where to find it: Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463, https://www.hitimewine.net; K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood, (323) 464-9463, https://www.klwines.com; Manhattan Fine Wines in Manhattan Beach, (310) 374-3454, https://www.manhattanfinewines.com; the Wine Club in Santa Ana, (714) 835-6485, https://www.thewineclub.com; and Woodland Hills Wine Co. in Woodland Hills, (818) 222-1111 and (800) 678-9463, https://www.whwc.com.

irene.virbila@latimes.com