Effortless Perfection
The 2017 vintage is a beautiful example of our signature Shibumi Chardonnay. The Buena Tierra Vines do not let me down and keep giving me these magnificent grapes. This year's harvest still had as many tons as always with big, tight bunches of fruit. I am grateful. I have been a fan of my chardonnay from day one. I know I am bias but I don't want to be without it. This vintage seems to lean towards the 2013 taste with notes of 2015 and 2016. An opulent, beautiful rounded wine for sure. On the nose, you smell honeycomb and apricot with a slight hint of warm spices. The color is bright, clear and golden with legs that gently slide down the sides. The taste is a treat of Meyer lemon and vanilla with a touch of Crème Brûlée. Its fresh, smooth and delicate. The complex flavors of the old vines make this wine an old soul. The finish lingers just long enough.
We discovered the Buena Tierra vineyard in the Russian River Valley, by meeting a vintner, Eugena Keegan, who bought chardonnay grapes from the Sonoma coast. She asked if we'd like to barrel taste the wine. The wine was stunning. She was moving to Oregon, so we approached the owner of Buena Tierra Vineyards on the Russian River in Sonoma County about buying the grapes. The owners were reluctant because the vines were at the time 35 years old and production was down. We offered to pay full production price for whatever grapes were harvested, an agreement that continues to this day.
