This classically barrel fermented wine is produced from the Sunchase Vineyard, perched high above the fog at an elevation of between 900-1,400', where the Petaluma Wind Gap collides with Sonoma Mountain just over the Napa County border. The cool ocean breezes & moderate sunshine, paired with fractured rocky clay soil consistently produces distinguished Chardonnay. This wine is 100% barrel fermented and aged, full of fruit, and will age for up to 10 years. About 185 cases produced.
94 – “In contrast to the 2013 Unoaked, the 2013 Chardonnay Sun Chase Vineyards has a slightly richer style with a hint of hazelnut and brioche, medium to full body and comes across like a premier cru or possibly a grand cru from Puligny Montrachet. It has loads of minerality, good acidity and plenty of flesh and richness. This is impressive wine and should drink well for up to a decade." Drink now through 2026– Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
93 – “Editor’s Choice” A heady mixture of lemon custard and baked pear marks the entry to this full-bodied, deliciously decadent wine, from a high-elevation site above the Petaluma Gap. Honeyed aromas maintain themselves in the glass, accented in floral honeysuckle and ginger. Lovely and generous, it softens as it goes – Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast
93 – “A rich, powerful effort, with intense peach, tropical fruit, citrus, smoky, toasty oak and a long, vibrant finish. Impressive extract imparts serious drive. Drink now through 2020.” – James Laube, Wine Spectator
93 – “Lush, rich and deep with juicy acidity and lovely structure; long, intense and elegant with silky texture; long and classic.” – Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel
92 - "A more overt range of tropical-inflected notes emerge from the 2013 Chardonnay Sun Chase Vineyard. Mango, peach, butter, spice and French oak nuances are laced together in a deeply expressive, layered Chardonnay that impresses for its overall balance and sense of harmony." Anthony Galloni, Vinous Media