The Mariah Vineyard is high up in the mountains that separate central Mendocino County from the coast. This vineyard sits at 2400 ft. elevation and is just a handful of miles away from the Pacific Ocean, near the town of Manchester, CA. You can actually see the ocean from the vineyard itself, and while this location understandably provides a cooling influence on the grapes, these lower temperatures are moderated by the fact that the vineyard is so high up it is above the fog most days, giving this area the nickname “Islands in the Sky” (because from the air all you see are mounds of green vines poking through the clouds). Consequently, this elevation protects the grapes from typical coastal problems, like excessive moisture in the bunches which can lead to mildew. The maritime climate combined with high elevation sunshine creates an extended growing season so the fruit has ample time to develop ideal acidity and complexity. The Mariah Vineyard is also one of the 1st regeneratively-farmed vineyards in the U.S. meaning farming focuses on soil health, fostering biodiversity, using natural solutions to herbicides and pesticides while mitigating the effect of climate change by storing carbon. This is a very special vineyard with many unique and interesting qualities that all combine to produce a distinguished Chardonnay.
This Chardonnay is very different from our unoaked Chardonnay, but don’t expect a butter bomb. This wine was pressed and barrel fermented and did go fully through malolactic fermentation, but it started with so much acidity that it is still lithe and energetic and a truly special wine. This wine was barrel fermented and has a beautiful richness that is balanced out by the naturally high acidity that occurs in this 2400 ft. vineyard.
I have dreamed for years to find a Chardonnay vineyard like Mariah that is able to grow old-school Chardonnay with Champagne-level acidity in a cooler climate so that it could be picked on the earlier side, barrel fermented, and then fully put through ML so that the end result is a wine that not only is ultra fresh and has great acid, but also has a touch of silkiness to the mid-palate. That is what we got here with this wine. Aromatically there is a bright core of green pear, freshly picked apples, almonds, and Meyer lemons while you are instantly greeted with that bright acidity and mouth-filling flavor. The finish lasts seemingly forever, further reinforcing the fact that this wine is not only electrifying now, but will continue to evolve for many years. – Scott Kirkpatrick
The 2023 Mendocino County harvest was atypical and fairly unique, but in a good way. Grape ripening was delayed by 2-3 weeks due to a slow start and a cooler than usual spring and summer. We saw a mix of reds and whites being harvested simultaneously. However, the longer hang times and cooler temperatures produced one of the best vintages seen in the last 20 years with grape quality being at what we consider exceptional levels. Yields ranged from just about average in some Mendocino County AVAs to much higher than normal in other areas, but the constant was the outstanding quality of the fruit. The final analysis has shown an ideal balance between acidity and sugars, with the wines exhibiting dynamic complexity, abundant aromatics and a wonderful depth of flavors.
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