Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Chardonnay 2024 (750ML)

Malolactic fermentation is never allowed for this Mt. Veeder Chardonnay, which says a good deal about the Mayacamas approach. The fruit comes from five blocks spread across the 475-acre estate at 1,800 to 2,100 feet, on soils ranging from compressed volcanic ash and fractured volcanic cobbles to gravelly loam and cobbled clay. The plantings are dominated by variations of the Wente clone on St. George rootstock, farmed organically since 2013. Grapes are hand-picked in the early morning, pressed gently, mostly as whole clusters, then fermented and aged in barrique alongside French and Austrian puncheons and foudres. The wine rests a year in bottle before release. The aim is intensity and freshness rather than weight. Dungeness crab, sole meunière and lemon-roasted chicken all play to that.