2021 Wildcat Mountain Chardonnay

100 cases produced

"A knockout of a wine from the hidden gem of Sonoma. Beautifully delineated with notes of citrus, orange blossom, jasmine, and spice, backed by a long, persistent mineral intensity "

Reviews

93 points. John Gilman, View from the Cellar
“The Wildcat Mountain Vineyard is planted on an outcropping of volcanic stone, making this one of the most minerally vineyards in all of Sonoma County. It sits in the Petaluma Gap, open to the fogs and cool evening airs. The 2021 from Model Farm is their second vintage of chardonnay from Wildcat Mountain, coming in at thirteen percent and having been raised solely in older oak barrels. The wine offers up a bright and youthful nose of apple, fresh pineapple, orange peel, stony minerality, honeysuckle and a whisper of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and zesty, with lovely depth at the core, superb mineral drive and grip, lovely balance and a long, complex and very classy finish. This is a very refined chardonnay that will age effortlessly for at least a couple of decades. 2023-2045.”

Vineyard / Cellar Notes

Isolated on a windswept ridge-top separating Sonoma Valley from Petaluma, this old vine vineyard is planted on pure volcanic rock. Sitting high above the valley below, the vineyard is exposed to the full brunt of wind from the Petaluma Gap and cold fog that funnels off of the San Pablo Bay. Very thin, rocky soils allow the vines to reach their optimal ripeness despite the challenging climate. Once in the cellar, we are solely focused on translating this exciting terroir into the bottle. We utilize transparent winemaking techniques, make skillful choices the press, and exercise lot of patience which ultimately allows the fruit to coalesce into a wine of incredible depth, tension, mineral precision, and cellaring potential.

• Harvested 8/31/2021 at 20.5° Brix
• Fermented and aged in neutral French oak with further aging on lees in stainless steel
• 13.0% Alc.

2021 93 points. John Gilman, View from the Cellar
2020 93+ points. John Gilman, View from the Cellar

Wildcat Mountain Vineyard, Sonoma, California

Unique volcanic terroir gives the wine a stunning mineral precision.