2021 Arista Banfield Vineyard Chardonnay

Aromas of white peach, lemon confit, white flowers, and subtle hazelnut lead into a silky, medium-to-full-bodied palate. Flavors of tart green apple, melon rind, and lemongrass mesh with underlying notes of flint and light baking spice. The texture is satiny and broad, balanced by a sharp beam of linear acidity that carries through a long, mineral-driven finish.

Hand-harvested Chardonnay undergoes barrel fermentation with native yeasts under the direction of winemaker Matt Courtney. The wine ages in French oak barrels before finishing its elevage, bottled without fining or filtration to preserve its natural depth and textural finesse.

Grapes are sourced entirely from Old Wente clone vines planted in 1980 on AXR rootstock at Banfield Vineyard, situated in the Russian River Valley. The site features old, low-yielding vines growing in gravelly soils. Morning fogs off the Pacific Ocean keep the site cool, extending the growing season into late fall so the grapes build flavor density alongside high natural acidity.