Chantilly Chardonnay 2023

Chantilly is an attractive Chablis-style wine, pale gold, with fresh pineapple slices, tangerine, and honeysuckle.

In developing Chantilly, Dawn and Bill visited Chablis to review the wines and traditional winemaking techniques of the region. Our 50-year old Chantilly vineyard is planted to Clone 4, California's most famous Chardonnay clone, responsible for many fine wines.

Sustainably-grown in our Estate vineyard this wine is fermented in carefully age-selected French oak barrels then barrel-aged for 12 months. Selecting some new and some used barrels we do not allow the wood to impart the characteristic California Chardonnay oak flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, toast, coconut, etc., that today are associated with ageing wine in all new barrels.

Bursting with fresh pineapple slices, tangerine, and honeysuckle that dominates both the aromas and flavors in the wine. Our Chantilly Chardonnay has a beautiful, medium-bodied mouthfeel with a crisp and zesty finish.
An abnormally cold season sparked one of the latest starts to harvest in nearly two decades, but the 2023 vintage is shaping up to reflect the best of Sonoma. After a decade of hotter-than-average seasons occasionally plagued by wildfire smoke, we are excited to capture the flavor profile of an old-fashioned growing climate.

It was cold in April, May, June, July but we are not that concerned, because the slow maturation of the fruit leads to more intense flavors.

For cabernet, zinfandel, merlot and syrah grapes that take more time to ripen, waiting to harvest grapes is always a balancing act between quality and weather.

French oak for 12 months - 33% new, 33% one use, balance neutral.
Color White
Vintage 2023
Harvest Date 28th Sep 2023
Style White Burgundy
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Varietal Chardonnay
Date Bottled 31st Dec 1969
Drinkable 2025 - 2028
Alcohol 14.10%
Bottle Size 750ml