Chardonnay 2023

Our love of Chardonnay, both the best of California and Burgundy, has been a hallmark of our wine loving lives whether we’re swooning over Haynes Corazon Napa Chardonnay or Raveneau Chablis. But because we’ve been fanatically pursuing our own take on own-rooted Rhone varietal royalty, we figured we would let our neighbors to the West and North chase their own Chardonnay dragon… let’s stay focused in our lane. We already have enough passion projects!

The edges of our black-and-white decision began to blur sitting at Winemaker Matt Nocas’ wedding dinner on June 19, 2021. Matt had quietly put 5 gallons of pure Estate Grown Chardonnay into a keg for the celebration.  Sitting at our table, no words had to be exchanged between Kyle, Ruben and I. This was good.  Instead, the conversation went directly to, “no, we can’t make another cuvee”.    

Finally in 2023, with the help of some extra fruit from our Tio Ruben, we had enough pure Chardonnay to cull away from our Uni White Blend to bottle a small lot. Rather than compete against all the other Chardonnays we love, we made just enough for one wine club offer.

Healthy late season rains pushed back bud-break and the growing season by 3-4 weeks. We escaped the summer without any extreme heat events that would have accelerated ripening. This all led up to even, slow ripening and a strategic harvest. 

The magic of sun-kissed Santa Barbara County Chard. Rolling hills of oak-dotted golden straw meeting the cold Pacific. A fresh citrus continuum of fresh to glazed lemon all the way to meringue, evolves from nose through finish. Moreover, the wine’s texture captivates the senses: A substantial weight, serious depth, yet crisp and refined. The pure pleasure of a thick cut slice of fresh backed Pain de Mie.