Wine Enthusiast 94
"Wonderful butter and toasted oak aromas start this full-bodied wine off nicely, before vivid Pippin apples, lemon zest and pineapp..."

Decanter 94
"Sourced just two miles from the Pacific Ocean at an elevation of 340 metres, this muscular yet distinctly maritime expression of the Sonoma Coast leads with brisk, salt-etched flavours of grapefruit and honeydew melons. While buoyantly fruity and weighty on the palate, it's a focused, elegantly composed Chardonnay with a juicy, concentrated finish."

Wine Spectator 92
"Delivers lime zest, white peach and Asian pear flavors that are focused, fresh and crisp, with dried ginger, yuzu and Fuji apple accents. Shows good concentration, with plenty of elegance on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2033. 2,520 cases made."

Vineyard
This property has been in the Martinelli family since the 1800's. In 1982, the vineyard was planted by George Hastings Charles (Lee Jr's maternal grandfather "PaPa"). Lee Jr. has managed the ranch since 1989. The vineyard is two ridges in from the ocean and it's remote location presents unique challenges. Charles Ranch is located on the Bohan Dillon road right down the street from the famous Hirsch Vineyard.

Vintage Notes
2019 began with another very early bloom, leading to a very early harvest in Sonoma County; our first fruit arrived August 5. During maturation, summer temperatures were warm and steady, with fewer heat spikes than 2015. Three weeks of cool weather in August and September relaxed the pace of harvest, allowing for methodical picking decisions and perfectly developed fruit.

Winemaking
We press the fruit whole cluster for delicacy. Native-yeast and full native malolactic fermentation take place in barrel, with sur lies btonnage. After aging 12 months in 12 new French oak barrels (Franois Frres and Taransaud Beaune), the Chardonnay was traditionally fined for clarity and texture during the following harvest, and bottled without filtration in January, 2019.

Winemaker Notes
Coming from a special vineyard site, our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay shows great depth of flavor, length of finish, aromatic complexity, and a fine balance between richness and delicacy. This vineyard has a typically cool climate, low vigor soil, and a vine selection that generates small berries, small clusters and inherently low yields.