Patria Charlie Smith Vineyard Moon Mountain Chardonnay 2023 (750ML)

Fermentation of the 2023 Charlie Smith Vineyard Chardonnay took ten days to begin on native yeasts and around 60 days to finish, a measure of how long and cool the season ran in Sonoma. Patria sources the fruit from a two-acre parcel at about 1,600 feet in the Moon Mountain District, farmed by organic grower Phil Coturri on rocky red clay loam. It is 100% Chardonnay, put through full malolactic and aged 16 months on its lees in French oak, a third of it new. This is Chardonnay with weight and grip: lemon confit, ripe orchard fruit and almond paste, a brioche note from the lees, and sage and rosemary at the edges. The acidity is well knit and the finish turns salty and long. Critics put its best years through the early 2030s. Pour it with lobster in brown butter, herb-roasted chicken or seared scallops.