2019 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay Cuvée Ma Belle

The 2019 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay Cuvée Ma Belle comes entirely from the R Bar R Ranch in the southern edge of the appellation.  Sitting above the fog at 1,200 feet, the vineyard sees a lot of sun, but still takes a long time to ripen as it is cooled by daily Pacific Ocean breezes.  2019 was an exceptional year for Chardonnay at R Bar R. 

Fermented with native yeast and aged on its lees in entirely neutral barrels for 16 months, this Chardonnay is all about texture and acidity with very subtle aromatics.  It should be at its best from 2021 through 2026.