Chardonnay, Shale & Stone, 2020

This is such an interesting Chardonnay; a wine of great natural character, neither too lean, nor in any way over the top; neither an ape of Burgundy, nor conforming to a more general idea of a Californian Chardonnay. Salty, nutty and fully dry, this revels in restraint and balance over bombast, with flecks of citrus over complex minerality and sur lie notes. Since 1985 the fruit has come from the same Carneros vineyard, planted by the Truchard family on decomposed shale and sandstone soils. Over the years John and Rory have developed a singular production method. The wine begins its spontaneous fermentation in new French oak barrels. At the peak of fermentation, after less than five days in barrique, it is racked into huge concrete vats to complete fermentation and remain sur lie for up to ten months. The result is a wine that ferments completely dry, following its own path through either partial or full malo, with very little obvious new oak character.