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This Chardonnay was sourced from two vineyards primarily impacted by the looming Sonoma Mountain rising 2250 feet above sea level and staring into the windy Petaluma Gap. The primary vineyard is located 1000 feet up and slopes slightly north. As with all our vineyards we seek out places with free draining soils. This is no exception as the vines are planted in a soil series called Spreckels Loam known for being well drained and low in vigor. In addition to a dearth of soil moisture, persistent daily breezes impose water loss from the leaves and flavor concentration in the fruit. These breezes keep berry temperatures lower when the marine layer (i.e. fog) is not providing its own cool blanket over the property. All these factors are wonderful for a vineyard that doesn’t benefit from being as close in proximity as our Pinot vineyard sources are to the ocean. However, this site has proven to be as cool and we intentionally chose an un-cherished clone for its high acidity and minerality. Falling out of favor because it couldn’t produce the massively rich Chardonnays sought after in recent decades, we were thrilled to work with something that could hearken back to wines with structure built upon mineral characters. We sought to produce a terroir driven, subtle, and mineral wine made simply in neutral French puncheons and barrique: designed for pleasure, uniqueness, and food. I suppose I could go on and on about all that we did in the cellar to make this wine terrific. But that would be a lie. While a blend of two vineyards (85% from one, 15% from another; sorry it’s a secret for now), this is a vineyard wine if there ever was one. We harvested it, gave it 24 hours of skin contact, and placed the juice in mostly neutral oak barrels to ferment on its own. We checked it occasionally, tasted it frequently, and let the yeast and bacteria perform their part. After 100% malolactic fermentation there was such a mineral element that we did stir the barrels once a week for about 12 weeks to add a touch of richness for balance before letting the wine age a total of 14 months. The only new barrel was a 500 L puncheon that was removed when the two main components were blended after 10 months all to keep each taste, each component in balance. We believe we’ve delivered with our inaugural Chardonnay which we’ve donned Cuvee Nancie; paying homage to Joe Donelan’s mother. Combined with the melon and citrus there is an underlying “stoniness” to the wine which we deem minerality. Additionally, there is a certain non-fruit aroma that is pleasant and mingling with citrus, like chamomile and mandarin mixed together. The beauty is in how all the flavors deliver on the palate, which is well balanced, focused, and fresh. This Chardonnay will continue to add weight with age and represents an elegant and pretty side of the varietal. As the weather warms up, best of luck in resisting a second glass! |
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