The 2020 vintage was “interesting” to say the least. The wines that were unaffected by the infamous fires were fantastic; however, Mother Nature claimed most of our crop. It was another mega-drought year. These types of years can be amazing for quality, if wildfires are avoided. Not only were many of our vineyards threatened by flames, but if they were downwind from large flare-ups, the fruit was rendered unusable due to smoke taint. It was a “roulette” of fire, and many of us were concerned for our homes, and evacuated for safety reasons. Our community persevered, and the grapes that were unaffected produced exceptional results. The 2020 wines are a direct result of our resilience and commitment to our craft.

Considered a Grand Cru Sonoma County vineyard for Chardonnay, Ritchie Vineyard is located in Russian River Valley and planted in sandy Goldridge loam. Kent Ritchie originally planted this vineyard in 1972 to Wente clone Chardonnay and has continued his dedication to Wente as he planted and replanted through the years. The daily fog rolls in every evening to keep the site cool while the northwest exposure captures the perfect light for even ripening. The combination of fog and terroir produces Chardonnay with exceptional natural acidity and minerality.

Whole clusters were hand-harvested in the darkness of early morning. LNU Complex fires started August 17th, but the wind direction and proximity to Ritchie Vineyard allowed us to harvest unaffected and at optimal ripeness. Whole clusters were hand-sorted on the way to the Europress, and pressed lightly on the sparkling wine cycle. Juice was racked clean directly to barrel for fermentation, which commenced naturally until completion. Secondary fermentation was halted with a touch of malic acid. The wine spent 12 months of élevage in a mixture of new and used French oak barrels and stainless steel barrels with minimal bâtonnage before bottling with light filtration.