After night harvesting, the Chardonnay fruit arrives at Saintsbury within the hour of its pick. The clusters are sorted and transferred directly to a gentle, whole cluster press. The settled juice then goes to barrel for fermentation. During its 8 months in French oak barrels, we employ batonnage to ensure a complex and well-balanced wine. The Sangiacomo vineyards are found in western Carneros, known for their loam and clay soils and a mixture of flat land and rolling hillsides, which has the reliable marine fog that rolls in most every evening and burns off mid-morning. Zesty notes of lime, kumquats and green pineapple, with powdered lily aromas. On the palate this wine is energetic from the start with tangy citrus, white peach and cloves.
Serve at 10-12 °C with fried halibut, shrimp seasoned with butter-cream sauce, grilled chicken, fried pumpkin salad or sweet potato chops.
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James Suckling
Ripe apricot with salted butter and mango on the nose. Smoke and flint, too. It’s full-bodied and wonderfully creamy. Crisp acidity and lingering, cream notes. Drink or hold.
