From the winery:
The Chardonnay block at Sojeau reaches the bottom of the slope that experienced mild effect from early April’s frost. Luckily, it was only the lowest lying 10% that saw damage, with those vines still producing a very healthy crop— only staggered behind the rest of the block in ripening.  We picked the upper vines on September 28th, leaving behind the frost affected plants to pick a week later, keeping the single barrel separate.  The wine that makes this blend is from the upper section, blended from a 500L puncheon that was filled directly from the press, balanced by two 228L selections, one new.  After a relatively short primary and secondary fermentation, the wines were put to bed on their lees and rested in barrel for nearly 12 months, before a “dirty” racking (taking all quality lees with it) to stainless steel on September 2nd of 2023.  Aging for a further four and half months over harvest, the wines form a more tensile and cohesive structure in their final stage before a gentle filtration prior to late January bottling.

Salty, briny impact up front, leading to ripe melon, honeysuckle, orange peel, and a thread of kiwi green fruit with a confectionary edge.  Beautiful complexity, with wonderful lift and aromatic perfume lending a white peach, pollen, and lemon oil savoriness.  The attack is well rounded, creamy in the front, with pear, golden apple, and a dense, chewy mid palate.  The lower alcohol leaves a more weightless, flightly sense toward the back, showing in only mild glimpses the fattier, toasty barrel elements that provide a tense foil to the lifted and ethereal tones throughout the wine.  Pretty, deft, and with delicate charm in 2022.

• 95 cases and 18 magnums produced
• 12.6% alcohol