Westwood Estate Chardonnay Sangiacomo Roberts Road Vineyard Sonoma Coast 2021

Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky. Two revered and accomplished winemakers at the top of their craft, at the helm of some of the tippy-top best wines currently made in all of California. Pair that awesome duo with one of the best chardonnay vineyards in the state – and you have the table set for something remarkable. We worked a deal that you won’t believe – with a death-defying cliff drop of a price on just four bottles...trust me when I say, you’re gonna want to check this out!

The Sangiacomo family is one of the top growers in all of Sonoma, and probably in the running for all of California in general. Chardonnay is their prized grape, and their immaculate parcel on Roberts Road is surely among the top spots outside of Burgundy to allow chardonnay to flourish. The site, on the northern edge of the Petaluma Gap, is a harsh and challenging climate that squeezes the deepest complexity and harnesses the perfect balance of acidity and ripeness from amongst these plantings. The clonal material is made up of some of the most sought-after heritage clones in the world – Old Wente, Robert Young, Champagne, and Montrachet derivatives mostly, in a combination of 14 separate rootstock and clonal pairings spread over 130 acres – and sourced by some twenty plus wineries to make named, single vineyard designate wines of the highest order.

In the hands of these two winemakers – a stunning and envy-inducing chardonnay was almost inevitable. This is a Burgundy-invoking site, and the wine embraces that fully. Partial malolactic fermentation, with a smattering of new French oak barrels for aging, this wine is a full yet balanced expression of chardonnay – with fruit, oak, acidity, and overall verve in harmonious accord. The cool, long hang time on the fruit gives a ripe stone-fruit twist atop the traditional orchard fruit expression of chardonnay, with citrusy undercurrents riding atop the ocean and wind-driven acidity. Toasty notes accent but never overpower the profile, and a feeling of completeness is the overarching and lasting effect. Brilliant stuff, even at the full retail price – but simply mind-boggling at our incredible price drop on four bottles or more. You’d be wise to opt for the “more” in this case, as you can simply never have too much of this fine California chardonnay. While it lasts!

PAIRING IDEAS: I paired this with halibut, pan-roasted and brown-butter basted, to great effect. A simple side of arugula and radishes gave this a spice profile to match, and the pan-drippings, deglazed with a touch of white wine made the perfect sauce.