92pts Vinous

The 2022 Chardonnay Cahill Lane Vineyard offers a compelling mix of fruit, depth and structure. Apricot, mint, chamomile, dried flowers, mint and crushed rocks are all beautifully delineated. This shows very good depth and fine balance within the context of the year.

91pts Jeb Dunnuck

The 2022 Chardonnay Cahill Lane Vineyard is made entirely from the Wente clone of Chardonnay, from older plantings in the late 1970s and the early 1990s. In the glass, it pours a golden yellow hue, and more flinty and smoky oak aromas lift from the glass, with notes of lilac, preserved lemon, savory herbs, peach, and marzipan. Full-bodied, it’s ripe and fleshy on the palate, with its oak influence carrying all the way through.

Winemaker Notes

This vineyard block is 100% Wente clone consisting of "chicken and eggs"; that is, large and tiny berries packed together in each cluster. This is usually the last block to be harvested so it derives much of its richness from an extended hang time.

Winery Notes

My father, Walter, loved to grow everything from kiwi to oriental pears and more. In the 1970's he enlisted my help to plant 257 chardonnay vines. Throughout the 1980's our entire family would harvest the half acre of grapes and my father and I would make the wine; filling two barrels, which equaled 50 cases of wine. Initially these wines were hard to drink, but with the help of my friend, Tom Rochioli, I developed a passion to understand everything about the vineyards and the process of making wine. This passion influenced my quest for growing World-class wines. Since our first commercial vintage in 1996, I have learned with every harvest that you must listen to vine; react to Mother Nature and ALWAYS compromise quantity for quality.