Chene Vineyard was certified biodynamic by Demeter in 2020. In 2021, the winery in San Luis Obispo (home to Lady of the Sunshine and Scar of the Sea wines) was also certified—a major step many producers don't pursue when considering sustainability certifications. Winemaking here is misleadingly simple: grapes are foot tread and left on the skins overnight, then barreled down to ferment and age in neutral French oak barrels. "I go as warm as I can during fermentation, and I like to flirt with reduction," winemaker Gina Giugni explains. "The wines are topped up but not racked, then bottled unfined and unfiltered after 10 months with a bit of sulfur." The 2021 Chardonnay features golden apples, beeswax and acacia, with accents of flint and hay on the nose. The palate is light-bodied, tangy and fresh with flinty citrus fruits and honeyed undertones emerging on the long, textural finish. Lovely! (EB)