Eden Rift Estate Chardonnay 2018

A tribute and testament to the vineyard's natural setting as well as its meticulous farmed Chardonnay vines. This offering was whole-cluster pressed, barrel fermented on native yeasts, and aged in 100% French oak barrels (18% new) for 10 months. This well-balanced Chardonnay went through 100% Malolactic fermentation with battonage twice per month for 6 months.

Located just 20 miles from the Monterey Bay, Eden Rift is the oldest continually producing vineyard in California. Planted in 1849 by Theophile Vache, the 120-acre estate rests on the San Andreas Faultline and is part of the Cienega Valley AVA. The winery is located just two miles from famed Pinot Noir producer Calera, whose founder Josh Jensen sought out the limestone and dolomite-rich soils. Before Josh, early vintners procured some of the first Pinot Noir planting in California at Eden Rift beginning in 1860. Post prohibition, the focus on Pinot Noir & Chardonnay was lost until Christian Pillsbury acquired the estate in 2016. Christian assembled a team of young industry professionals starting with winemaker Cory Waller to once again create some of California’s most vivid energetic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The extreme terraces and diverse terroir in a single contiguous valley make California’s oldest estate vineyard its most exciting new project.

This just takes off at the finish, with bright, tangy acidity and plenty of minerality. Full-bodied and so tangy and energetic. Fantastic chardonnay. Hints of aniseed and flint. Grows in the glass. Delicious now, but will age beautifully.

Salty lemon- and orange-peel aromas meet with grippy chalk and the hint of stuck match on the nose of this bottling. There is a stony quality to the sip, where lime-pith and seared orange-slice flavors arise.