Comprised of our finest Estate fruit from a remarkable vintage, our 2020 Savoir Faire Chardonnay epitomizes vineyard and variety with gravitas and grace. Generous aromas of Meyer lemon and pear flambé bound from the glass with an underscore of orange blossom and lemongrass. Opulent and mouth-filling, the finely detailed palate delivers deep silky layers of rich fruit: Notes of grilled pineapple, ripe apricot, and dried mango are uplifted and extended by soft, citrusy acidity and an echoing salinity, the wine’s extended barrel aging revealing itself as a lingering salted caramel finish as the intermingling of flavors slowly melts away. –Katie Vogt
Composition
100% Chardonnay
Vineyards
Critics
99 Points
James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, April 1, 2022
Dried pears and apples with peaches and blanched almonds, turning to dry mango. Full-bodied with layers of phenolics that show tannins and depth. Takes you deep down into the wine. A tiny selection of the best barrels of chardonnay here. A very serious chardonnay with great depth that calls for bottle age. 50 cases made. Try after 2026.
Winemaking
- Winemaker:
- Katie Vogt
- Alcohol:
- 16.1
- Harvested:
- September 8 to September 8, 2019
- Bottled:
- March 21, 2022
- Released:
- October 1, 2022
This 2020 vintage was crafted from the single, standout Block 33 in Pahlmeyer Estate Vineyard, selected for its complex and ever-evolving flavors. Tasting the grapes off the vine at harvest, it was obvious that this wine would be layered and concentrated, a truly age-worthy, compelling Chardonnay. Fruit was hand-harvested in the cool of the night, then hand-sorted and gently whole-cluster pressed into a stainless-steel tank. The juice settled naturally and was racked to barrels for fermentation, stirred weekly through the end of primary fermentation and then as needed through malolactic fermentation. After 13 months of aging, the most expressive barrels were transferred to a large-format puncheon barrel for an additional five months of aging, the puncheon ensuring a light touch.
