Sonoma County

Medium

Cork

White

Knights Valley is an AVA with a lot of unrealised potential - there are, in fact, only two wineries in the area. Knights Bridge, one of them, is known for its Bordeaux varieties, but its Chardonnays are also standing out. The Kelly is a single-block wine from the middle of the hill on the estate - an east-facing slope on volcanic soils planted to Wente clone. The 2024 vintage opens with a flinty, reductive nose, followed by dried chamomile, lemon confit, and a honeyed fruit character that opens up in the glass. Winemaker Derek Baljeu keeps things simple: malolactic fermentation is blocked to preserve acidity, with no lees stirring and aging in 500L puncheons with about 25% new oak (a big departure from two vintages ago, when this wine saw 100% new oak). The palate is opulent, but it builds gradually rather than leaning on phenolic tension. The finish is tangy, vibrant and persistent.

Chardonnay

Knights Bridge, Kelley Chardonnay, Sonoma County, Knights Valley, California, USA, 2024

10-Knights-Bridge,-Kelley-2024.jpg

Knights Valley is an AVA with a lot of unrealised potential - there are, in fact, only two wineries in the area. Knights Bridge,

Knights Bridge, Kelley Chardonnay, Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA 2024

Related Wines

Articles