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In 2019, Saintsbury’s Carneros appellation Chardonnay was sourced exclusively from the Sangiacomo Vineyard. The Sangiacomo family are Carneros old-timers, and the Saintsbury winery has been buying their fruit for over 35 years. The rolling hills of western Carneros offer loam and clay soils and are cooled regularly by a marine fog, making for an excellent terroir for Chardonnay. Meticulous farming and planting a variety of clones, such as Robert Young, Catarina, Old Wente, Dijon 95, 809, and 548, are just part of the story behind this delicious and satisfying wine. Also important is the Burgundian-inspired winemaking, including barrel fermentation, lees stirring (bâtonnage), and limited use of new oak. This is a zesty, energetic wine that pleases with fresh aromatics of lime and pineapple and flavors of tangy citrus and white peach. With the 375 ml. sized bottle, you don't need to wait for a special occasion.
Andre Tchelistcheff , the great Russian emigre winemaker/prophet, proclaimed that Carneros with its cool climate would one day produce Northern California’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Though a few growers and sparkling wine producers in the 1970s heeded his call and began planting vineyards in the district, it took a few years for a winery to focus on making a true Carneros Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. One of the pioneers in this area was Saintsbury.
Founded in 1981 by Richard Ward and David Graves (who had met in an oenology class at UC Davis) Saintsbury has always aimed to produce distinctive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay exclusively from the cool and windy terroir of Carneros. Starting small, success came quickly, with the winery growing to 35,000 cases within 10 years. Over the years, Saintsbury has focused almost entirely on single vineyard and appellation-designated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – though recently it has begun to make wine from vineyards in the Anderson Valley and to produce some Carneros Syrah as well. Saintsbury was an early adopter of using varietal clones to improve their wine by, for example, planting a particular vineyard site with the most appropriate clones or by using clonal diversity to achieve more complexity. A few years ago, Saintsbury sold off its Garnet line of high value wines in order to focus on appellation-designated or single vineyard wines. Frenchman Jerome Chery, the winemaker since 2004, is a specialist in these sorts of wines.
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Appellation(s) | Los Carneros |
| Winery | Saintsbury |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Color | White |
| Varietal(s) | Chardonnay |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
| Volume | 375ml |
| Bottle Size | 7.0 x 23.5 |
| Case Size | 31.0 x 23.5 x 25.0 |
| Alcohol | 13.5% |
| Product Code | SA19CCHx |
| UPC | 732458950131 |
93 points – James Suckling (2018 vintage).
Orchard fruits, tropical notes and flint open up to a crisp and zesty palate of lime, lemon curd and floral notes. Finishes clean and slightly creamy.
After harvesting at night, the grape clusters are quickly sorted and gently pressed. The juice is fermented in French oak barrels (10% new) and aged for 8 months, with regular bâtonnage for additional complexity.