Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021 (California)

Description

Oak, Peach, Vanilla

"This smooth, harmonious, silky wine offers a seamless mélange of apples, peaches, almonds and vanilla on a medium body, while subtle acidity persists on the palate and helps the fruit flavors echo on the finish. In a nutshell, it is rich but very well balanced" Wine Enthusiast, Oct 2023

"A linear and tight white with sliced lemon and green apple, as well as hints of honeysuckle. Medium body with a creamy texture and a salty, jasmine undertone to the fruit at the finish. Solid. Phenolics" James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com, Sep 2022

Flowers specializes in creating cool-climate Chardonnay & Pinot Noir from dramatic vineyards close to the Pacific Ocean. Sourced from a small selection of family-owned vineyards on the Sonoma Coast as well as the Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge estate.

The 2021 vintage gave us beautiful wines by way of a challenge. In the second year of our most recent drought, winter brought only small, infrequent rains on the Sonoma Coast, followed by widely fluctuating early-spring temperatures. The dearth of moisture and mixed weather messages slowed canopy development, and ultimately resulted in smaller clusters. Patience and hopeful perseverance paid off, though, as mild temperatures prevailed through the end of the growing season, encouraging even, optimal ripening. Small berries resulted in lower yields, but when the grapes began hitting the crush pad—slightly earlier than usual in August—the superb quality of the small vintage was clear, in outstanding purity, complex flavors, and dense texture.

Whole clusters fermented in 20% stainless steel and 80% French oak, 18% of which was new, 62% 1-2 years and 20% in neutral 3 year barrels. It was then aged for 16 months in barrel before bottling.