2017 Chardonnay, Vigna Monte Nero Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands

This expression of Santa Lucia Highlands is what I love about the appellation. There is an aroma of corn in this wine that I absolutely love, accompanied by aromas of French vanilla ice cream, pear eau de vie, and apple pie followed by flavors of Fuji apple, Asian pear, a hint of spiced eggnog, and caramel.

We nailed the 2017! For the 2017 Santa Lucia Chardonnay I wanted to go back to the way I made this wine originally. After consulting my notes from 2008, I decided to ferment the juice in stainless steel, and then transfer it down to barrels to age in French and American oak. This expression of Santa Lucia Highlands is what I love about the appellation. There is an aroma of corn in this wine that I absolutely love, accompanied by aromas of French vanilla ice cream, pear eau de vie, and apple pie followed by flavors of Fuji apple, Asian pear, a hint of spiced eggnog, and caramel.