Leo Steen 2020 Chardonnay, Bruzzone Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains,

This is a beautifully intricate Chardonnay, with bright saline notes and enticing layers of lemongrass, green pineapple, and hints of mint. On the palate, the flavors are framed by a racy backbone of cool-climate acidity. While it has both nerve and energy, there is also a mid-pallet creaminess to this wine, that offers a lovely counterpoint, while helping to draw the flavors to a lingering finish.

This wine was aged for 16 months in French oak cask, French oak barrels and 500-liter puncheons. To enhance richness and mouthfeel, it underwent 100% malolactic fermentation and the lees were occasionally stirred. This cool-climate Chardonnay was bottled in early 2021 using minimum sulphur.