2020 Peay Vineyards Estate Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

I’m just going to say it, Vanessa Wong knows how to make superb Chardonnay. She really does. Of course, the fruit Nick grows on our estate vineyard is none too shabby and provides the material for her to work. But the human part of our terroir, the Vanessa Wong sensibility with the Chardonnay grape, comes through in every vintage as she shapes this wine highlighting what makes Peay Chardonnay distinct. The texture of our Chardonnay walks a tightrope between silkiness and linearity. The fruit expression hints at tree fruits like apples and pears but keeps the other foot in the citrus bowl. There are indications of barrel richness tamed by powerful acidity and freshness. And this all only gets more interesting if you age the wines and the elements coalesce into that singular expression of Peay Chardonnay. People who have attended our dinners the past year have witnessed it in the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 Chardonnay I have been featuring. They are singing.

The 2020 Estate Chardonnay continues down this path and features an engaging nose of apple pears, orange marmalade and a hint of Gaia melon. These high tone notes float around a toasty English muffin aroma with a hint of almond milk. The texture is quite captivating, a little silky like panna cotta, yet brisk with salty notes. This is a very well balanced Chardonnay and will be terrific when it arrives at your door this winter and for the next 10+ years.