Located in the heart of the Fort Ross Sea-View appellation just several miles from the Pacific Ocean the rural 4.5-acre Mohrhardt Ridge vineyard is home to some of our most intriguing wines. At nearly 40 years old, Chardonnay vines at Mohrhardt yield minimal quantities of Old Wente in the form of a few tiny clusters on each vine. Planted atop a ridgeline at nearly 1400 in elevation, Mohrhardt experienced warm days and plentiful sunshine leading up to harvest in 2019 as we called our pick in mid-September. Once in the cellar fruit was pressed slowly and gently, over the course of several hours to retain the natural delicacy of aroma and flavor. Utilizing primarily neutral French Oak, resulting juice from the tiny Old Wente bunches was fermented in predominately neutral barrels and aged for 11 months on lees. Although the 2019 growing season was nearly ideal, Mohrhardt yielded just enough fruit for us to fill a few barrels amounting to a mere 150 cases bottled for the vintage.

Tasting notes:Peaches, Minerals, and Citrus

James Suckling: 94 points