I’ve long been a fan of this vineyard site, and I even had the chance to work with the fruit during my time in the cellar 15 years ago. Originally planted in the 1970s, it’s a historic site that has long earned its Grand Cru status. The wines from here always strike a fascinating balance between power and precision—naturally concentrated and dense, yet driven by vibrant, piercing, mouthwatering acidity. That’s exactly the case here. This isn’t a fruit-forward Chardonnay; it’s all about saline, stony minerality, freshly baked pie crust, hints of jasmine, citrus peel, and Marcona almond. Complex and compelling, it clearly reflects the pedigree of the site and its intense maritime influence. Chablis-like perhaps, but it doesn’t need to imitate anything. This wine has a true sense of place all its own.

This wine smells coastal! Here is a California Chardonnay that has more cut, minerality, and persistence than many wines that are grown around the village of Chichée. I know that those are fighting words… but this is a terroir-driven wine with lots of personality. Heirloom apples, citrus zest, seashells, and a whiff of salt from an onshore breeze. This is not a typical California Chardonnay; this is a wine that shows off the potential of a truly cool-climate growing region. Speaking of potential, this wine has awesome potential. I would like to see what this is like in 5 years!

Another really clean and fresh little guy from this winery. This is probably, of the ones I've tasted, one of the bigger and richer Chardonnays but it's still really accessible and fairly easy. The nose has a little bit of oak to it for me, but it's probably in the low double digits. Please understand I am just guessing and it's my impression from what I'm tasting and smelling, so if I'm wrong, I'm okay with that. There's that pretty and crisp red apple, some lemon curd, and then that little touch of oak. The palate is elegant and really has a great texture while maintaining this beautiful line of acidity the whole way through, very crisp and tart red apple, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a little bit of chalk on the finish round everything out. It's really gorgeous and a great deal at this price. Buy it, you'll like it.