2017 Ceritas - Trout Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay (92 pts)

2017 Ceritas - Trout Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay (92 pts) @jraytek @skurnikwines · ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, California. Trout Gulch Vineyard was planted in 1980 to own rooted vines of Wente clone Chardonnay. The soil is marine sandstone, uplifted oceanic sandy soils, that provide good drainage forcing the vines to dig deep. The vineyard is 750 ft above sea level and just 3.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean. This site is the last to be harvested for Ceritas and it rarely gets over 80 F (26.7 C) in the peak of summer, which enables the grapes to have a long hang time. The vineyard is dry farmed. Whole cluster crushed and pressed. Barrel fermented in neutral French oak barrels. The wine is native yeast fermentation, goes through MLF, and minimal lees stirring. Aged 10 months in neutral barrels and an additional 6 months in stainless steel. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered· 👁 Pale lemon color· 👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of lemon peel, lime, green apple, quince, wet rock, acacia, orange blossom, and sea spray· 👄 The wine is dry, high laser-like acidity, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium- body. A good chalky texture. A medium length finish of lemon, sea water, and rocks· 🔔 Let me start off by saying that this wine is not for everyone. It breaks most people's perception of a Californian Chardonnay. The acidity on this wine is off the charts and dominates the wine, BUT I like acidity, so this works well for me. The wine is an exercise in subtlety - light florals and citrus fruits, but with a heavy dose of minerality and salinity. This is clearly a wine of place for me and something that could show even more potential with age.