2019 Ceritas, Marena, Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California, USA

The 2019 Chardonnay Marena bristles with coastal energy and tension. Citrus peel, white flowers, chalk, white pepper and mint are finely sculpted in this gorgeous appellation-level Chardonnay from Ceritas. Aeration brings out gorgeous depth and resonance. All the elements are so well balanced. The Marena is a blend from a south-facing block at Zephyr planted with Clone 4 Chardonnay and the thin canopy sections at Heintz, where the fruit is more exposed, in other words all fruit that is a bit more forward and generous than what is used in the vineyard designate bottlings.This is a fabulous set of wines from John Raytek at Ceritas. Beyond the usual suspects, the wines that impressed me most were actually the appellation Chardonnay and Pinot, both of which are absolutely delicious. Like most of his colleagues, Raytek describes 2019 as a year with a moderate growing season. Vines grew a bit more than normal because of heavy rain in the spring. As a result, berries were bigger than normal. In tasting, the 2019s are a bit nervy, especially the Pinots, so giving the wines time in bottle is a good idea. All of the vineyard designate Chardonnays and Pinots saw 12 months in barrel and four months in tank prior to bottling. Also, of note this year are an extended-age version of the Trout Gulch Chardonnay and a stellar rendition of the Cabernet Sauvignon, both 2018s from the Santa Cruz Mountains. These remain some of the most distinctive wines in all of California.Drink 2022 - 2029antonio_galloni, Vinous.com.com (January 2022)

Fermented in neutral barrels to increase lees impact. All ambient yeast fermentation, including complete malo.Energetic Chardonnay which also shows some generous fruit characters. Good combination of ripeness, acidity and youthful freshness. Very appealing, slight mineral note on the finish.Drink 2022 - 2024andy_howard_mw, JancisRobinson.com (April 2022)