2021 Chardonnay SXB ReserveSonoma Coast
As a winemaker, it’s all about trying to make that elusive “perfect” wine; this is the closest I’ve ever come. Montrachet-like in its richness, our 2021 SBX Reserve is a truly complete wine, stunning in its depth, complexity and structure. A sumptuous core of golden delicious apples, honeydew melon, mango and pineapple floods the palate with enticing hints of hazelnut and almond butter adding delicious nuance to the wine’s incredibly long and expressive finish.
Reserve Blend: As a winemaker focused on site specific, single vineyard wines – especially when it comes to Chardonnay – I never intended to make a Reserve blend. It happened for the first time in 2017, when the confluence of vintage and site presented me with three barrels – two from Durell and one from Sangiacomo’s Green Acres Hill – that were undeniable in their specialness. So much so, that they demanded their own bottling. I made a promise to myself with that bottling that I would only produce a Reserve in those years when there were not only singularly exceptional but posessed the potential to create a cuvee of such memorable character that it truly warranted the Reserve designation. I’m delighted to report that the stars aligned with the superb 2021 vintage, once again giving us two Durell barrels and one Green Acres Hill barrel that could not be denied.
Vineyards: Both Durell Vineyard and Sangiacomo Vineyard’s Green Acres Hill are coveted sites located in the Sonoma Coast and Carneros appellations, respectively. Benefiting from long warm days moderated by coastal fog and bay breezes, both regions provide the ideal conditions for producing stellar, cool-climate Chardonnay.
Winemaking: The grapes for our 2021 SXB Reserve were harvested in the early morning and transported immediately to the winery where they were whole fruit pressed. After two days of cold settling, the juice was racked to small French Burgundy barrels, inoculated with a low rate of Burgundian yeast, and cold barrel fermented at 58-65°F for 100 days. The wine was aged sur lies for an additional 17 months, undergoing true secondary malolactic fermentation in the spring. The wine was bottle unfiltered and unfined.
Tech:
Cases: 71
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Vineyards: Durell, Green Acres Hill
Aging: 17mos 100% new French oak
Bottled: March 9, 2023
TA: 0.658
pH: 3.28
Alc: 14.4%