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Keller La Cruz Chardonnay comes from an organically farmed vineyard in the windy Petaluma Gap AVA – excellent terroir for an early-ripening grape variety. The vineyard is planted to a diverse set of Chardonnay clones that bring out a multidimensional array of aromatics, flavors, and textures, while the winemaking regime includes 100% barrel fermentation, sur lie aging, and complete malolactic fermentation. The result is a fine Chardonnay with bright acidity, lively fruit and spice notes, and a creamy texture. Allow the wine some time in the glass to reveal layers of citrus, apple, floral notes, and vanilla.
Pinot Noir and Petaluma. 40 years ago, the received wisdom was that California Pinot Noir would never achieve the subtle brilliance of Burgundy and that Petaluma, home to dairy and chicken farmers, was far too cold for vineyards. Funny how things change. Indeed, California Pinots get better each year, and Petaluma may one day soon produce the very best. And that future may not be far off if the young Keller Estate continues down the path it is following.
Keller Estate produces estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (as well as Syrah and Pinot Gris) on a 650-acre property located southeast of Petaluma – near the borderline of the Sonoma Coast and Carneros AVAs. In these rolling hills, cooled by the fog that blows in through the Petaluma Gap as well as from San Pablo Bay, early ripening, “cool climate” grapes are the obvious choice. In the early 1980s, Arturo Keller, an auto engineer from Mexico, and his family founded the estate. They planted vineyards but sold the first vintages of Chardonnay to other wineries. Impressed by the quality of their fruit, they began making wine under their own label from 2000. Today every detail in the vineyards and winery is overseen by Arturo’s daughter, Ana, a trained bio-chemist.
Keller Estate’s vineyards are planted in soils that show all the complexity of being a former seabed. The complexity of the wines is enhanced further by the 9 different clones of Pinot Noir, 4 clones of Chardonnay, and 2 clones of Syrah planted in the vineyards. The wines are crafted carefully and naturally in a stunning gravity-flow winery.
But the key to understanding Keller Estate’s wines is their extreme cool-climate location. Though many vineyard areas in Sonoma and Napa Counties are cooled by fog and ocean breezes, in the Petaluma Gap the fog rolls in a bit earlier and out later; the temperature drops so rapidly, the grapes retain much more crisp acidity even as they ripen and develop rich, fruit flavors. Currently, the Petaluma Gap is within the Sonoma Coast AVA. But if the Kellers and other winegrowers continue to demonstrate the uniqueness of the microclimate and soils, it may become one in the future.
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Appellation(s) | Petaluma Gap (Sonoma) |
| Winery | Keller |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Color | White |
| Varietal(s) | Chardonnay |
| Closure | Cork |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Bottle Size | 8.2 x 29.5 |
| Case Size | 34.0 x 26.0 x 30.5 |
| Alcohol | 14.18% |
| Product Code | KE20LCH |
| UPC | NONE |
Tropical, stone fruit and vanilla notes introduce a rich and creamy palate of green apple, pear, and nutmeg, framed by bright acidity and wet stone minerality.
Grapes were harvested at night and pressed gently as whole clusters before being transferred to neutral French oak for primary and malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged on the lees for about six months.