2020 Chardonnay
Russian River Valley
Estate Grown

Our 2020 Chardonnay is a blend of 70 percent oak fermented and 30 percent stainless steel. Beautifully balanced vanilla and creamy texture with a little splash of green apple acidity at the end. The best from both Californian and French styles of Chardonnay. We often joke that it's the Chardonnay to change your mind for that reason; it's got something for every palate! Pair with everything from a cheese plate to hollandaise.

Grown in the coolest pocket of our Soul Patch Estate Vineyards, the Chardonnay is a classic in our portfolio. A fusion of the Californian and French styles, this is a blend of 70% oak fermented - 1/3 new, 1/3 1-2 year old, and 1/3 neutral - and 30% stainless steel fermented. That combo gives what we think is the best of both worlds. The richness and subtle vanilla of the barrel, creamy texture from partial ML, all while keeping the acidity clean and crisp thanks to the stainless. For me, the greatest test of Chardonnay is whether it can be drunk by itself, but also still have enough acidity to cut the fat on a piece of fried chicken, white fish, or a grilled cheese. Without acidity, there's no pairing, and without this Chardonnay, there's no party! 

The grapes are brought into the winery where there they are hand sorted and whole cluster pressed into juice (different from most other wineries who crush first), garnering more brilliance of flavor from the grapes. 70% of the grapes are placed into French Oak barrels to undergo full malolactic fermentation, helping to develop smooth round textures and add richness to the wine. The other 30% is placed into stainless steel barrels, thus preserving the fruit and acidity which highlights the purity of our vineyard.  The wine is then aged in the respective barrels for one full year. Just before bottling the oak & stainless steel barrels are blended.