Native9 - 'Rancho Vinedo' - Chardonnay - Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, CA - 2020

@native9wines

Notes from the Winery/Importer

A reflection of the rugged location of our originally farmed, low-yield vineyard, this Chardonnay is an expression of its place: lean and crisp with resilient character. Sitting on gross lees until bottling, at which point it’s bottled unfined and unfiltered. 95 points Vinous

Notes on the Producer

Native9 Wine did not arrive by mistake. In 1781, Josef Ontiveros entered California permanently, and helped protect and build the Pueblo of Los Angeles and the Presidio of Santa Barbara. The next two generations, Patricio and Juan Pacifico, turned muskets to plowshares and established the El Cajon de Santa Ana Land Grant with the intention to "raise cattle, breed horses and grow wine" in Orange County CA in the mid-19th Century. Between 1837 and 1855, the Ontiveros ranching families struggled to find water for their stock, and made a family land-swap deal to trade El Cajon de Santa Ana for the Tepesquet Land Grant in Northern Santa Barbara County--a site that now includes Rancho Vinedo and Bien Nacido Vineyards. Nine generations after Josef entered California, after Spanish, Mexican and American ownership of California, James has reclaimed his Californio heritage in his love for horses, cattle, and vineyards. Native9 Wine and Rancho Vinedo Wine served today were made by winemaker Justin Willett, one of only two winemakers in California to achieve a perfect 100 point score for a Chardonnay. Whole cluster fermentation in Pinot Noir and long barrel aging, as well as cellaring, are the norm for us. These are wines of delicacy and perfume, not concentration and extract. Nastive9: Deliberate. Historic. Sublime. Winemaker: Justin Willett*, Tyler and Lieu Dit Owner/Farmer: James Ontiveros, 9th Generation native Californian rancher Brand Ambassador/Wine Educator: Wes Hagen, penned 4 AVAs in SBC wine Winemaking: Elevated ‘natural’ winemaking. Strong focus on craft, balance and stability. No added yeast or ML or SO2 at the crusher, whole-cluster to about 60% on PN. 18 months in elevage for all wines, Pinot Noir grapes are grown organically. Chardonnay: 50 year old, own rooted vines (Wente 72), 18 months in 1/3 new French (Damy) Pinot Noir: 60% whole cluster, clones 2A, Pommard 4. 18 months in 1/3 new French.

Grapes & Style

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is one of the great white grapes of Burgundy, and one of the most widely planted wine grapes in the world. It has a long history in eastern France, especially Burgundy and Champagne, and DNA work shows it as part of the same broad Pinot and Gouais Blanc family that gave us grapes like Gamay and Aligoté. It’s adaptable, easy enough to grow in many places, and capable of producing everything from simple everyday whites to some of the most ageworthy white wines in the world.

In the vineyard, Chardonnay buds and ripens relatively early, which makes it useful in cooler climates but vulnerable to spring frost. It tends to do especially well on limestone and calcareous clay, and its relatively neutral fruit profile gives site and cellar choices a lot of room to show. Malolactic fermentation, lees aging, barrel fermentation, and oak can all shape the final wine dramatically.

In the glass, Chardonnay can be lean, saline, and citrus-driven, or broad, textured, and orchard-fruited, depending on where it’s grown and how it’s made. Chablis shows the steely, high-acid side; the Côte de Beaune shows depth, texture, and savory complexity; Champagne shows its value as a sparkling-wine base. Good Chardonnay is less about one fixed flavor than about balance, texture, and the way it carries place.