2022 Chardonnay
100% Chardonnay, La Presa Vineyard
Santa Ynez Valley AVA
Picked September 12th 2023 at La Presa Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley, the grapes were immediately whole cluster pressed into stainless steel, then clean racked after 24 hours of settling to stainless steel where it was innoculated with a specialized yeast intended for New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. After 9 days of cool fermentation the wine was completely dry and racked to neutral French oak barrels where it aged in the cellar for 6 months. The wine was then racked to tank, settled and racked again before being filtered through a cross flow filter. The finished wine was then bottled on 5/16/23 to 98 12/750mL cases.
Aromas of candied pineapple, peach blossoms and ripe pears are followed by rich tropical and exotic fruits on the palate such as dried mangos and ripe papayas. The mouthfeel has a percievably buttery viscosity but well balanced by it’s bright acidity. Lemony on the finish with nice hints of honey and vanilla.
We suggest Pacific rim cuisine such as Thai curries or Japanese sushi in rich cream sauces. It was heavenly with a Dynamite roll!
ABOUT THE LABEL ARTIST:
As a wildlife painter, John has always had the intent of using his own photos as reference material. In the beginning, that just meant a photo with an animal in the frame, in focus or not. In time, his fondness for photography grew from passion to profession. This has led to photographic excursions in Yellowstone, Alaska, Africa and French Polynesia searching for bears, wolves, elephants, lions, whales and sharks.
One afternoon, while swimming in from a dive, he snapped a few photos of a breaking wave. The next day, John went back to the ocean in search of waves and another passion was born. Having grown up in and around the ocean along the California coast, the addition of wave and surf photography was an easy one for him.
“Mother Nature makes the art, I try to find it.”, is a quote John uses often. Being a painter and photographer of many subjects means there is always something for him to paint or shoot. Telling stories with his photos and art is important. John wants to open people’s eyes to the beauty of the natural world, and in turn make them want to protect and persevere it.