John and Teresa Balletto grow the grapes for this wine from an area with sandy soils in the vineyard that surrounds their winery near Sebastopol in the Russian River Valley. It is planted with the Robert Young clone and they say it produces a distinctive and lifted wine every year. It is a delicious, mouthwatering wine that needs no enhancement from oak barrels, lees stirring or malolactic fermentation. The Ballettos say their ambition is to capture the essence of Chardonnay, which they describe as pure, crisp and pretty. It is that and more, with delicate, fresh green apple, pear, citrus aromas and flavors of green apple, honeydew melon and orange zest, all enlivened with bright and lively, citrusy acidity. Enjoy it with sauteed scallops with a lemon butter sauce, or a Niçoise salad.
Balletto Vineyards, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Chardonnay 2019
By Rebecca Murphy