2022 Fort Ross Seaview Chardonnay

The ripe yellow-colored 2022 Chardonnay Charles Ranch comes from the Wente clone on pre-phylloxera AXR-1 and St. George rootstock planted in 1981 on the more rugged hillside terrain of Fort Ross-Seaview. In the glass, the wine offers a deeper mineral profile compared to the Lady Marjorie, with savory, compact aromas of fresh flowers, sea spray, flinty crushed stones, golden apples, and preserved citrus. Full-bodied, it has wonderful nerve balanced with rich concentration and carries through a fantastically long finish. I love the savory, brothy nature of this wine, which has a real sense of place. It’s going to have some real aging potential over the next 10 years or so. Drink 2025-2035. Carlo and Dante Mondavi founded RAEN in the West Sonoma Coast AVA with the goal of finding California Grand Cru-equivalent sites in the Freestone-Occidental area. Melanie McIntyre is leading the way as winemaker of this Pinot Noir-focused estate. The winery is located two miles from the ocean, and their wines are vibrant expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the vineyard, they practice no-till farming and work beyond the requirements of organics, working toward eliminating the use of all chemicals in the vineyards. The 2021 vintage introduced the first cuvée of the Chardonnay Lady Marjorie, an homage to their grandmother and intended as the counterpoint to the Royal St. Robert tribute of Pinot Noir. All of the Pinot Noir production in the cellar sees 100% whole clusters going into fermentation, unless there are any issues with mold or further selection is needed.