Raeburn Sonoma County Chardonnay 2022

VINIFICATION: Our Chardonnay is hand-picked at dawn from several Sonoma County vineyards to maintain ideal brix levels of 24° to 24.5°. Once at the winery, we whole cluster press the fruit and gently rack into French and Hungarian oak barrels for fermentation. 75% barrel fermented and aged six months. Duo of French and Hungarian oak (50% new), 75% ML.
VINTAGE: The 2022 growing season in Sonoma County started with weeks of sunny days that created an earlier bud break in February. Bouts of cooler temperatures occurred in late February and early April, and summer was relatively mild compared to past years. Harvest began July 29, a few weeks earlier than anticipated, and finished earlier than normal due to consistently warm fall days in late August and early September. Overall, Sonoma County saw a solid growing season, fruit quality was stunning, and the overall smaller berry and cluster sizes point to a stellar 2022 vintage.
WINEMAKER NOTES: Raeburn Chardonnay shows an array of complex fruit tones ranging from pear and Gravenstein apple to nectarine. The fruit is beautifully complemented with toasted oak, vanilla and hints of Crème Brûlée with a balanced and elegant finish.