Chardonnay, "Estate" Peay Vineyards, Sonoma, CA, 2020

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.