2023 Lady of the Sunshine, Chardonnay Chene Vineyards, Edna Valley, USA

Certified Biodynamic. The one acre of Wente Clone Chardonnay yielded 4 tons to the acre this vintage and was harvested in mid-September. The grapes were foot crushed and soaked on the skins overnight before being whole bunch pressed the next morning. The juice was collected and barreled down to ferment with native yeast in neutral oak barrels. The fermentation was encouraged to keep warm in barrel by soaking in the sun throughout the duration of the fermentation, before going dry. The wine aged on its lees for 10 months, going through malolactic fermentation, before being racked for the first time to bottle, unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulfur used. 264 cases were produced.