2020 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay

A mostly mild but dry season was permeated by dry lightning and wind. On August 16th, the CZU fire burned within 10 miles of the winery. Smoke originally blew towards the coast but changed direction after the first week of the fire, enveloping the vineyards and affecting the character of the fruit. We made the gut-wrenching decision that no red wine was to be bottled from the vintage. The compounds contained within the skins were displaying very characteristic smoky flavors and texture. We concluded that if we were careful in pressing (using lower pressure in the press and pressing the grapes immediately) we could make white wines that escaped the smokey characteristics found in the reds. While our losses in the vineyard pale in comparison to the loss of home and life from the fire, it was a heartbreaking year, nonetheless.