2022 Wildcat Mountain

92 Points: James Suckling JamesSuckling.com - October 24, 2024

“Full in flavor but also nicely structured in acidity, this wine has an appetizing snap in the texture as well as vibrant, concentrated fruit notes. Grapefruit, nutmeg and toast aromas lead to layered Bosc pears and green apples along with herbal accents. Full-bodied. Drink now or hold. Screw cap.”

The 2022 vintage was impacted by a third consecutive year of drought that resulted in up to a 10-30% reduction in yields. The growing season was temperate, which in grape growing means we were on track or ahead of normal growth. Then we saw some heat spikes that prompted our first picks. 2022 was a year for vintage-to-vintage variation and differentiation between vineyards. Grapes were picked from two distinct blocks planted to two different clones: 76 and 95, on September 29, 2022.

The grapes for this Chardonnay came exclusively from Wildcat Mountain Vineyard, owned by Steve MacRostie and his partners, Nancy and Tony Lilly. At Wildcat, the vines dig into the sparse volcanic soil and stand firm against the strong winds that race in off of the Pacific Ocean most afternoons. This fog-shrouded mountaintop vineyard is a classic Sonoma Coast site. Cool and challenging, it yields wines of great distinction.

• composition:

  100% Chardonnay

• alcohol: 14.2%
• cases made:

  643

• bottling date: 08/15/2023
• aging:

  Aged 10 months in French oak, 22% new, 30% once used

• fermentation:

  Whole cluster pressed, cold settled, then racked to barrel for cool fermentation.