Vineyard Notes: Camino Alto is located high in the foothills north of Camino, Ca in El Dorado County. It is farmed by Chuck Mansfield who oversees the vineyards of some of the best wineries in the foothills. His family has been growing grapes, peaches, plums, pears & apples in the foothills for three generations. The Chardonnay block is an eastern-facing hillside on decomposed volcanic soils.

Cellar Notes: We hand harvested two tons of this great fruit specifically for skin-fermentation. We've been working with this fruit since 2021 so it was time to experiment! It fermented nicely & was racked to neutral oak for about a month & a half, before being bottled.

Tasting Notes: This wine is definitively Chardonnay, but with some interesting twists brought about by the skin-contact during fermentation. There is the typical pear & ripe stone fruit quality, with a slight floral edge & notes of genmai cha (green tea with toasted rice) & saffron. The palate exhibits similar flavors, but is silky & rich, with a hint of tannic activity & floral notes on a long finish.

Pair With: Roast pork loin, sausage gumbo, white bean chili

Label: The quail represents our Chardonnay labels each vintage so since this is a Skin Fermented wine, it has a unique twist.