Vineyard

We had several atmospheric rivers which gave us the rainfall total we like, but the precipitation did not have a chance to sink in, so for growing purposes, it still seemed like drought conditions. Summer’s cool, foggy nights allowed the grapes to develop intense flavors.

Cellar

Our Reserve Chardonnay is made following techniques I learned during my internship at Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Meursault, France. We began in the vineyard by using a Burgundian-bred Chardonnay clone (Dijon 76) for our grapes. At the winery, we inoculated the juice with two Burgundian yeasts (Montrachet and CY 3079), then barrel-fermented the juice in new and one-year-old French oak barrels to give the wine a roasted nuts aroma and a richness on the palate. After primary fermentation, we moved half of this wine and its lees (yeast sediment) to older French oak barrels to allow the wine to develop and mature without becoming too oaky. The Reserve Chardonnay is aged in approximately 8% new oak. Like at Lafon, all of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. This traditional Burgundian technique converted the grapes’ natural malic acid to the softer lactic acid, adding richness and complexity to the palate.

We aged the Reserve sur lies (on its sediment) in barrels in our caves for 15 months and utilized bâtonnage (stirring the lees) every two weeks to give the wine a creamy texture and a flinty aroma. The wine was bottled in February 2024, then bottle aged for 15 months before release.

Drinkability

At our Annual Vertical Tasting in April 2026, we tasted the 2022 and here are our notes: It opens with delicate floral notes, lemon zest, Comice pear and flint. Supple, round and creamy, its flinty notes carry through to the palate. They are complemented by flavors of sweet vanilla and toasted brioche. The 2022 is developing the complexities of bottle bouquet that will allow it to age well for another year or two.

At Harvest:

22.3° Brix
0.62 g/100 mls TA
3.40 pH

At Bottling:

13.7% alcohol
0.61 g/100 mls TA
3.55 pH