95 POINTS
  • A bottle of Heirloom Chardonnay from Etude's Carneros estate vineyard, Grace Benoist Ranch
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2022 Heirloom Chardonnay

2022 Heirloom Chardonnay

Carneros750ml 13.5
$65.00
$65.00

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Specifications

  • Vintage: 2022
  • Region: California
  • Appelation: Carneros
  • ABV: 13.5
  • Varietal: Chardonnay

Tasting Notes

Only produced in the finest years, this beautiful Heirloom Chardonnay opens with fresh aromas of pear and apple, enhanced by a subtle sweetness of honeycomb and beeswax. The palate reveals a nutty character with lightly toasted almond notes, while the sur lie aging imparts a creamy texture on the mid-palate. Notes of Mirabelle plum and a touch of lemon zest and pith add complexity and vibrancy while complementing a wet stone minerality emblematic of this vineyard’s volcanic soils.

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Expert reviews

95 POINTS

“Layers of preserved lemons, spices, poached pears, flint and pastry. The palate is medium-bodied with bright acidity, giving flavors of beeswax, red apples and lanolin. A good balance of power and tension. Drink or hold.” - JamesSuckling.com, January 2025

92 POINTS

“Fresh and focused, with Fuji apple, Meyer lemon, pear and guava flavors that are elegant and precise. Details of candied ginger, cardamom, toasted sesame seed and yuzu emerge on the lengthy finish alongside touches of tangerine, lemon thyme and lime leaf. Drink now.” – MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator, March 17, 2025

Winemaker Jon Priest walking between rows of grapevines in a vineyard.

Carneros

Etude’s Heirloom Chardonnay, produced from heirloom selections of the variety, is dedicated to the celebration and preservation of plant diversity. Heirloom plants are horticultural treasures that have been handed down from generation to generation for centuries. Like its counterpart, Etude’s Heirloom Pinot Noir, this Chardonnay exemplifies the singular superiority of this unique offering – unusually expressive, concentrated and pure – a tribute to the original varieties or vine selections chosen for the inherent wine quality they produce. Winemaker Jon Priest has always admired the Chardonnay from these Heirloom selections for the inherent elegance, balance and minerality exhibited, and this small bottling, only produced in the best years, highlights these special selections.

Winemaker Jon Priest holding up harvested grapes near stainless steel fermentation tanks.

Crafted Excellence

Winemaking

The fruit for the Heirloom Chardonnay was harvested at night and gently whole-cluster pressed before being transferred to French oak barrels for fermentation. Traditional in approach, the wine was bottled after 18 months of maturation, with a periodic stirring of the lees for the initial two months of aging to enhance aromatics and increase mouthfeel texture. This small-lot Chardonnay was crafted to showcase the unique terroir at Grace Benoist Ranch. The wine underwent full natural and spontaneous primary fermentation and partial malolactic fermentation, allowing more of a “hands-off” approach in winemaking, and allowing for the natural acidity and beauty of the Chardonnay grape to truly express itself