HARVESTED: September 1-14, 2021
VINEYARD: Santa Cruz Mountains
SOILS: loamy clay
BOTTLED: April 2022, 168 cases
COMPOSITION: 100% Chardonnay
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
WINEMAKER: Charlie Miller
VINEYARD MANAGER: Thayer Dunwoody
VINTAGE NOTES
2021 vintage was truly a postcard vintage! The continued severe drought had a predictable (and not bad) effect: the berries themselves were smaller, which generally means smaller crops, smaller clusters but concentrated, high-quality wines. The growing season started earlier in the year – also drought-related – so the harvest started sooner and moved faster than usual. The post-veraison period was warm but mostly moderated, leading to steady and very even ripening. Vintages of such magnitude generally deliver wines with great transparency to the vineyard.
WINEMAKING NOTES
Grape clusters were hand-picked, sorted, and destemmed. The fruit sat on the skins for anywhere from 1 to 5 hours before gently basket pressing to a stainless steel tank. The juice was chilled and left to settle for 24 hours before racking off the gross lees to a variety of French barrels. 100% barrel fermented. Aged in oak for 9 months. Bottled unfined, unfiltered.
TASTING NOTES
The 2021 chardonnay leaps from the glass with aromas of pear, powdered citrus, honeysuckle and apple crumble. Rich fruits saturate the palate with just enough mineral and acid in the mid palate to deliver a laser focused wine. The wine offers a long, defined and penetrating finish framed by notes of beautiful toasted oak.
CELLARING
Enjoy now or over the next 3-5 years.