Convene by Dan Kosta, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA 2021

Dan Kosta and Shane Finely have worked together since 2006, when Finley, at age 26, began working in the cellar at Kosta Browne. These guys are having a lot of fun with Convene, the label Kosta launched in 2019. After their entry-level bottlings, the Convene label represents the 'Premier Cru' level wines, while DK Grail is the 'Grand Cru' tier. They are unquestionably 'Holy Grail' worthy. Finley and Kosta are big fans of longer ageing and extended lees contact with their Chardonnays. We tasted in February 2024, and they'd just bottled their 2022s. Super expressive nose with wonderful ripe fruit flavours alongside butterscotch and toasty brioche. Wonderfully rich and full-bodied with plenty of salty mineral tension. Partial malolactic fermentation means the wine retains great tension, vibrancy, and freshness. Flavours run the spectrum from Meyer Lemon to apricots and white peaches. Crushed Marcona almonds are entangled in the finish, and I find this a balanced expression of California Chardonnay with the right amount of toasty richness and acidity.