Adri’s Cuvée 2020 Chardonnay

Sta. Rita Hills, California | La Rinconada Vineyard

The 2020 Co^lluvial™ “Adri’s Cuvée” Chardonnay bottling is grounded in the majesty of California’s Santa Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area). The fruit is drawn from the La Rinconada Vineyard.  Planted in 1997, La Rinconada sits adjacent to the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. Home to 20 vineyard blocks and 12 clones, La Rinconada is also primarily Pinot Noir, complemented by some very special Chardonnay vines. This site enjoys the maritime influences of the Pacific Ocean, in particular the fog and cooling winds provide the perfect conditions for a longer growing season. The lower portion of La Rinconada is a sandy loam, which transitions to more clay loam mixed with diatomaceous earth, alluvium soils and shale on the hills closer to Sanford & Benedict. The wine is a Barrel Selection (best 2 barrels) from the lot dedicated to my middle daughter Adriana for driving cross-country with me to work harvest.

Tasting Notes

“Prominent notes of petrol and citrus are nuanced by hints of green apple and oak. There is good volume and mid-palate density to the vibrant and nicely detailed middle weight flavors that terminate in a delicious and balanced finale. This could use better depth but there is solid development potential and a wine that should repay 3 to 6 or so years of keeping.”  91 Pts/2026+Allen Meadow’s Burghound Issue #90

“Smooth texture and lots of ripe fruit. An edge of ripe plums on the nose. I asked my six-year-old granddaughter how she would describe this wine and she suggested ‘smelly’. It is quite powerful aromatically. But it has enough putty-flavoured dryness on the end. Medium to long finish..” 16 Pts JancisRobinson.com

“Starting out reduced and backward, the 2020 Chardonnay Adri’s Cuvée La Rinconada Vineyard opens up with air and has a musky bouquet of dried lemon, honeyed flowers, dried herbs, and orange blossom. This carries to a medium-bodied Chardonnay with a soft, supple mouthfeel, rock-solid overall balance, and a good finish. It certainly needs some air if drinking any time soon, and I imagine it will keep nicely through 2028, if not longer.” 90 Pts Jeb Dunnuck

“Nutty oak aromas join baked lemon on the nose of this bottling. There’s a sharp lemon peel kick to the sip, lifting the green and yellow apple flavors.” 90 Pts Matt Kettmann, Wine Enthusiast

Food Pairings

Bouillabaisse. Pan Roasted Chicken with roasted vegetables, white rice and aji verde.  Fish Tacos with spicy avocado slaw.

To download the full Co^lluvial™ Information Sheet, click here.