Samuel Louis Smith Chardonnay Spear Vineyard 2022

Samuel Louis Smith Chardonnay Spear Vineyard 202292 points Wine Advocate The 2022 Chardonnay Spear Vineyard is a decidedly mineral driven wine that avoids a searing nature. Lemon zest and dried flower aromas are subtly bolstered by pastry cream and hazelnut, leading to a palate that straddles inviting softness and bright, laser focus. It finishes with beautiful freshness and silty acidity. Our Take: From the Northern Corridor, this expressive Cali Chard is anything but the norm. Racy acidity, bright

Vinification – Hand-harvested old vines are fermented by native yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks

clay soil with oolithic limestone pebbles

Winemaking: The grapes are picked in the Citrusdal Mountains and it does require a major load of logistics to get the grapes down to the winery: the journey to the vineyard takes about 4 and a half hours so we only return to the cellar at the end of the day and then place the grapes in our cool room (at 4 degrees) for the night

Great aging potential

17 months of ageing in barrels

with a citrus twang upfront that elevates its tart orchard fruits

Only made in exceptional vintages

stony and austere—very much with the profile from the soils and the zone that I've seen very clear in the wines from Michelini i Mufatto in my last tasting

earth and spice

juicy fruit on the palate

crisp pears

The hill of Brézé in Saumur has been such a discovery for us