2021 Bethel Heights 'The High Wire' Estate Chardonnay

Aromas of preserved lemon, white grapefruit, and flint integrate with savory notes of struck match and honeycomb. The palate is medium-bodied and electric, featuring a core of citrus pith and a distinct saline texture. It displays a piercing acidity and a vertical structure that leads to a long, tension-filled finish marked by a persistent mineral grip.

Winemaker Ben Casteel utilizes fruit from some of the oldest vines on the estate, specifically those grafted to a high-wire trellis system to maximize airflow and light. The fruit is whole-cluster pressed and fermented with native yeasts in French oak barrels. The wine matures on its lees with no stirring to maintain its chiseled profile, emphasizing the natural acidity and "reductive" mineral character that has become a signature of the estate’s Chardonnay program.

The fruit is grown in the Eola-Amity Hills at the Bethel Heights Estate. The site is defined by its shallow, volcanic Jory and Nekia soils and its position directly facing the Van Duzer Corridor. This gap in the coastal mountains funnels cool Pacific air into the vineyards every afternoon, which allows the grapes to retain high acidity while developing deep phenolic complexity on the wind-swept hillsides.