Sonoma County

Medium

Cork

White

This Chardonnay is sourced from Ritchie Vineyard, specifically the old vine blocks in G and A blocks. Matt Sands describes it as a medium-warm site within the Russian River Valley, but the pomace-like soil stresses the vines, contributing to beautifully focused acidity. Harvest timing is critical due to variations in the vines and the clusters they produce, a hallmark of the site’s unique complexity. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed with no sulphur added for a day or two, carefully monitoring the pH. Sands performed a few press cuts and stirred the leaves during primary fermentation but not again until racking. The wine was aged for 20 months: 33% in new French oak barrels (Damy) and 67% in neutral French oak barrels. In 2022, Sands crafted a gorgeously elegant Chardonnay, offering a deeply penetrating expression of fruit and salinity on the mid-palate, with tremendous richness framed by expressive acidity. The wine exudes a suave fruit-weight texture with an outstanding mineral and acid tension balance. Aromas of spring flowers intertwine with lifted Meyer lemon, creamy orchard fruit, apricot, and a hint of guava. The finish is exceptionally long, balanced, and refreshing.

Chardonnay

Lithology, Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley, California, USA, 2022

lithology-ritchie-chardonnay2020-bottleshot-6511a419b6eb3.jpg

This Chardonnay is sourced from Ritchie Vineyard, specifically the old vine blocks in G and A blocks. Matt Sands describes it as

Lithology, Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA 2022

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