• French & American oak
• Pineapple & pear
• Marshmallow
• Medium tannins

"Stylish and complex, the inviting bouquet shows apricot, vanilla, roasted hazelnut and brioche characters. The palate is equally satisfying with excellent weight and roundness combined with creamy mouthfeel and beautifully pitched acidity, making it engaging and sophisticated" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Apr 2021

The 2019 vintage of the 446 Chardonnay exhibits vibrant aromas of pineapple, white peach, ripe Bartlett pear and marshmallow that carry through to the palate. This medium-bodied wine is well integrated with medium tannins and acidity lending to a plush mouthfeel and long finish.

The grapes come from 12 distinct/diverse blocks of Chardonnay in the San Bernabe AVA. Most of these blocks are clone 4 – well suited to the strong cooling afternoon winds at SBV.

A cool, wet start to the season brought on slow even ripening. Warm days and cool evenings followed gently allowing the grapes to ripen while maintaining bright, fresh, clean fruit flavors.

The grapes were harvested at the peak of ripeness. The grapes were gently pressed into either barrels or stainless steel tanks. This was determined by the fruit / flavors, with the leaner lots being fermented in stainless steel tanks to retain their more delicate aromas and good acidity. The “fatter / richer” lots were sent to barrels for fermentation and aging. Following fermentation all lots started malolactic fermentation, with some lots completing this fermentation and some partially completing fermentation depending on the acid balance of the wine. A portion of the wine was barrel fermented in New French and New American Barrels to give the wines richness and fatness from the oak and sur-lie aging. Balance fermented in Stainless steel tanks (with French and American oak) to retain brightness and freshness of this varietal.

Food Pairing: Try pairing with soft cheeses, pastas or salad.