This gently sloping vineyard located in the heart of the Sant Lucia Highlands was planted by the renowned grower Gary Franscioni. A fourth-generation farmer, Gary and his lovely wife Rosella have planted one of the finest vineyards in California.  Gary’s passion for growing only the finest fruit on his home vineyard has resulted in a huge following for his Rosella’s Pinot Noir.  Less widely known is his small block of excellent Dijon clone Chardonnay, which produces some of the finest Chardonnay in the highlands.

Fermentation: Our Rosella’s Vineyard Chardonnay is fermented and aged in the Burgundian tradition.  The grapes are hand-picked before being gently whole-cluster pressed and barrel-fermented using a variety of special hand selected yeasts.  The wine then undergoes a complete malo-lactic fermentation to enhance richness and complexity.   In addition, each barrel has been hand stirred every two weeks until shortly before blending and bottling.

Our 2022 Rosella’s Chardonnay exhibits beautiful fruit forward aromas highlighted by rich toasted oak and caramel notes.  The palate is intense, exhibiting ripe peach accented by tropical fruits. This wine is wonderfully balanced, it shows the richness and intensity of fruit grown in the Santa Lucia Highlands, while also having a nice long crisp finish to bring all the flavors into focus.

Picking Date: September 20th 2022

Appellation: Santa Lucia Highlands

Cooperage: 100% French oak, 33% new: Sirugue and Billon

Bottling: September 5th, 2023 887 6-packs (750ml)