Tyler 2021 Chardonnay, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills

From wild old vines planted in 1971 on their own roots, they sit atop a gently north leaning knoll on beds of uniformly light and rocky soils. The harvested grapes are whole cluster pressed to tank, settled briefly before being moved to another tank for fermentation. After fermentation is active, the juice goes down to barrels and puncheons with no more than 15% new oak. The wine sees no battonage and full ML, and is left on lees for 10 months before going back to tank for an additional few months of aging.