2017 Albutom Vineyard Chardonnay

Record setting rains replenished our thirsty soils and gave our old vines a much needed reprieve from four drought stressed seasons. The 2017 vintage was another year of record setting heat, continuing our string of warm growing seasons. Luckily, spring was mild, and allowed us to set the best crop we have seen since 2012. A torrid heat spike over the labor day started the growing season with a bang and had us off and running at sprinter’s pace. The weather following was mild and allowed for the latest harvest we have seen in some time. It will go down as a vintage with good yields and even better quality.

"Sadly, there are just two barrels of the 2017 Chardonnay Albutom Vineyard to go around. In the glass, the Albutom offers a lovely interplay of textural richness and energy, with tons of varietal nuance and plenty of Santa Cruz Mountains character, all in the understated style that is the signature of the year." -Antonio Galloni, Vinous 91 Points
Cold, whole-cluster pressing, no settling, barrel fermentation with native yeast and spontaneous malolactic fermentations highlight the wonderful purity inherent in our Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay. This 'hands off' approach in the cellar allows for maximum site expression. We ferment and age our Chardonnay in three year air-dried French Oak barrels, sur-lie with no batonage. Following 10-12 months in oak, the wines are racked, with their lees, to stainless steel for an additional four to six months of élevage.
The Albutom Vineyard is our smallest vineyard of Chardonnay at 1/3 of an acre. The plot produces a distinct expression of fractured shale upon which it was grown. It seems to epitomize all that we love about the chardonnay we grow in the mountains: minerals, rocks, subtle fruit, and bright acidity. This vineyard always brings these various components together in a finely knit chardonnay of great elegance and subtle power. Very thin, rocky soils and a cool eastern exposure leads to precise wines with great potential for age.