2023 Chardonnay Bald Mountain Sand Hill

The Sand Hill Chardonnay comes from a single plot on Beauregard’s well known Bald Mountain Vineyard located just south of the town of Bonny Doon. The 2023 displays a concentrated bright golden yellow core that moves to green and gold reflections on the meniscus, very typical of this wine year after year. Every vintage this wine seems to become more restrained, made in a style more associated with the classic white wines from Burgundy than the richer style often encountered in California. The wine is harvested at about 22 Brix and slowly pressed into a mix of neutral barrels and stainless steel barrels where the wine is fermented, then aged for close to 1 year before being bottled. The nose has aromas of asian pear, white flowers, honey, lemons blossoms, crushed stones, hazelnut and stirred lees, The palate is medium bodied, medium plus in acidity with similar flavors to the nose along with bright citrus notes, crushed white stones, and a touch of an oyster shell note on the finish. This is a young wine which needs time in the cellar to reach its prime, like all great examples of Chardonnay. If drinking this wine during its youth, ideally decant for 1 hour before serving at just under cellar temp, 50-55F is ideal, and let the wine warm in the glass. I must stress, if you serve this wine too cold the delicate aromas will be lost and the acid will seem more elevated on the palate, so take the wine from the refrigerator at least 30-45 minutes before consuming.