Frei Road, Chardonnay,

Invariably exciting, the 2021 Frei opens up with vivid, high-definition fruit on the nose, grapefruit pith and citrus oil, and a smoky note too. Frei is always the vineyard with the highest acidity and the focus that brings makes for a thrilling wine, giving a keen edge to the fruit and an overall sense of energy. The combination of ripe fruit, with salt and energy shot through it is irresistible. Matt Courtney’s Frei Road comes from the famed Martinelli Zio Tony vineyard, the very same site that Marcassin pulled fruit from. A single clone, Dijon 548 makes up the blend. This vineyard has been farmed by the Martinelli family for generations and continues to be tended by George Martinelli. A mild climate graces this corner of Sonoma, and Chardonnay grapes ripen slowly in the well-draining Goldridge soil. Located near the village of Graton in the rolling hills south of the Russian River, Frei Road Vineyard produces a wine of great complexity, tension, and minerality.