Seabold Olson Chardonnay 2018

The Olson family has been the owners and caretakers of this unique property since 1882. The vineyard dramatically towers over Highway 101, planted on a steep, sandy hill just 5 unobstructed miles from the Monterey Bay — one of the coldest vineyard sites in California.

Just down the road lies the Blue Grand Canyon, one of the world’s largest and deepest marine trenches. Its 300 cubic miles of icy waters fuel the cold Salinas wind that funnels through the Gabilan and Santa Lucia Ranges, creating a Thermal Rainbow — a large-scale temperature gradation drawn through the length of the Salinas Valley. The result is a Chardonnay of remarkable tension and precision.

Hand-harvested at night in two separate tries, hand-sorted, and whole cluster-pressed. After a native yeast fermentation in stainless steel, the wine was aged in mostly neutral barrique for 11 months, then racked on its fine lees before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Vineyard: Olson Vineyard, Prunedale (est. 1882) | Region: Monterey, 5 miles from Monterey Bay | Ageing: 11 months, mostly neutral barrique | Winery: Seabold