The portrait on the label is of Ernest Gottula, grandfather of founder of Todd Gottula who with his wife, Erin Brooks, in 2012. They work with 12 different growers, mainly in cool-climate areas who farm a total of 26 acres of vines. They have a great appreciation of Burgundian-style wines and aim to make wines high in acid, low in alcohol and moderate use of oak. They nailed it with this wine. Tasting it blind I thought it might be from Burgundy, due to its subtle green apple, citrus, fruit, a touch of vanilla and chalky mineral notes. Lean, tight and crisp in the mouth, its flavors linger on the tongue and the in the memory. It is a seriously structured and enjoyable wine that will be a charming collaborator with baked halibut or pan-seared scallops. The Cleary Ranch Vineyard is a six-acre site in the in the west Sonoma Coast area, and is the coolest of the vineyards that Gottula and Brooks lease and farm.
Ernest Vineyards, Sonoma Coast (Sonoma County, California) Chardonnay 2016
By Rebecca Murphy