Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay 2023 (750 ml)

This wine opens with aromas of ripe golden apple, white peach, and light oak. On the palate, apple and pear characteristics are balanced by fresh acidity, and the finish is clean, with appealing hints of apple and lemon intermingling with notes of minerality.

The 2023 growing season started off warm and dry. Mild conditions in spring were ideal for budbreak and early growth, while steady summer temperatures, with cool mornings and warm, sunny days, ripened chardonnay grapes to perfect flavor and balanced acidity. Yields at harvest were abundant and of very high quality.

We harvested the grapes by night in small batches as they reached perfect maturity. Night harvest gives us fruit that is still cool from the evening temperatures, and we press it directly into tank as whole clusters. We then transfer the juice into French oak barrels for fermentation. A portion of the wine (4%) underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine aged for 8 months in French oak (33% new) with intermittent stirring of the yeast lees to enhance texture and complexity.

This is a versatile pairing wine with fresh salads, grilled scallops, and nearly any selection of cheeses.