2021 Moone-Tsai 'Paige Cuvée' Chardonnay

Aromas of lemon confit, kumquat, ripe pear, marzipan, and subtle ginger lead into a concentrated, medium-to-full-bodied palate. Flavors of mandarin orange, candied lemon peel, and toasted almond mesh with integrated French oak and subtle white floral notes. The texture is pliant, creamy, and seamlessly layered, supported by a rich mid-palate and a line of energetic acidity through a long, saline-tinged finish.

Hand-harvested whole clusters are pressed directly to French oak barrels (45 percent new) for barrel fermentation. The wine ages sur lie in barrel for 17 months, undergoing gentle stirring to build textural volume and integration while retaining site specificity and freshness.

Grapes are sourced entirely from the old-vine Ritchie Vineyard, situated on a northwest-facing hillside in the Russian River Valley. Planted in well-draining Goldridge sandy loam and volcanic tufa soils, the site is cooled by regular marine fog rolling off the Santa Rosa Plain, allowing for extended hang-time that yields small berries with deep phenolic complexity.