A First Look

July 17 to August 6. Twenty days, five picks, four vineyards.

Our first Chardonnay came in on July 17. Our last pick, Chardonnay from John Sebastiano Vineyard, came in twenty days later.

By the time harvest was over, we had two Chardonnay base wines, two Pinot Noir base wines, and our first Meunier base wine. Tasting them side by side has been one of the most fascinating parts of this harvest.

The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the new coastal vineyard are both linear, with searing acidity. The Chardonnay from John Sebastiano and the Pinot Noir from Fiddlestix are much fleshier, with more weight through the middle of the palate.

Same varieties. Same AVA. Very different starting points.

And that is all they are right now: starting points. The wines have finished fermentation, but they are just beginning their time in the cellar.

The wines are now in a combination of neutral oak and stainless steel barrels. Going forward, we taste each barrel each month and make decisions about racking, lees stirring, and malolactic fermentation. Those choices will be made lot by lot as the wines develop. We have already decided to send one barrel of the John Sebastiano Chardonnay through inoculated malolactic fermentation.

During harvest, we also check the progress of the previous vintage. About eight weeks after tirage bottling, we open a few bottles to see how the second fermentation is coming along. It is the first time we taste the wines with their bubbles, and the first chance to see how the wines we knew as still base wines are beginning to change.

The lab confirmed the second fermentation is complete. All three poured clean and dry, with a good pop and gorgeous foam. The Solaise showed lemon, lime peel, and grapefruit with brioche underneath, bright, precise, and unmistakably Chardonnay-forward. The Cuvée was juicier: tart cherry and unripe strawberry with a fuller, Pinot Noir-driven palate. The Rosé was the standout for me. Raspberry, a rounder texture, and a distinctive chalky salinity.

These wines have years of tirage ahead of them. This tasting is the baseline. Every six months, we will open a few more bottles and watch them evolve.

Ever curious,
Tammee