Sea Smoke Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2021 ( 13.9% ABV ) 750 ML

The grapes for this wine come from loamy, well-drained soils on our estate vineyard.  Dijon and Wente clones are fermented in stainless steel as well as in French oak foudres and demi-muids.  This is an elegant chardonnay with a focused mid-palate and the refreshing cool climate acidity characteristic of Sea Smoke Vineyard.

Our estate-grown Chardonnay fruit was picked and hand-sorted in the vineyard before spending the night in our cold room. Chilled grapes were softly pressed and the juice was gently pumped into a stainless steel tank and cold settled. Once the heavy solids were removed, the juice was racked to a stainless steel fermenter, then inoculated for primary fermentation. Following primary fermentation, the wine was racked to barrels, inoculated
for malolactic fermentation, then periodically stirred to enhance depth and mouthfeel. The 2021 Sea Smoke Chardonnay was aged for a total of 10 months prior to bottling with no fining and no filtration.

Character: An elegant Chardonnay with aromas of mango, honeysuckle, fresh cut pear and honeydew. These are complemented by nectarine and a slight nuttiness in the focused mid-palate and the refreshing cool climate acidity of our estate vineyard.