Chardonnay, Presqu'ile Winery

In 2007, after an extensive search that spanned the West Coast of the United States, the Murphy family acquired an ideal unplanted 200-acre property in the hills of the Santa Maria Valley. Over the next two years, the Murphys, along with Santa Barbara County Vineyard Manager Jim Stollberg and Winemaker Dieter Cronje, meticulously planned the design of the Presqu’ile Vineyard with an emphasis on diversity. To achieve their vision, they mapped the site's deep sandy soils, distinct airflows, patterns of sunlight, hillside angles and elevations. With the insights derived from these measurements, they planted the vineyard to maximize the diversity of row directions, spacing, clones and rootstocks. To further augment this diversity with older vines, Presqu’ile also acquired an adjacent 11-acre parcel of Clone 777 and 667 Pinot Noir vines planted in 2001. Collectively, the result is a winemaker's dream, offering a treasure trove of individual blocks and sections, allowing Dieter to craft complex and layered small-lot wines.

The 2016 Chardonnay Presqu'ile Vineyard opens with mineral notions of crushed stone and toast, fleshing out to honey-drizzled apples, sliced almond and white peach plus a Greek yogurt tinge. Medium-bodied, the palate gives up pretty, honeyed fruits with very tangy acidity and a long, nutty finish.