2023 Vivier - Chardonnay Sonoma Mtn. Van der Kamp (750ml)

This is a rare, small-production Chardonnay from Stephane Vivier, a Burgundy-trained winemaker known for his hands-off, terroir-first approach in Sonoma. Vivier grew up in Meloisey, a small village near Beaune, and trained in viticulture and enology at the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon before working in Switzerland, Sonoma, and New Zealand. He later became winemaker at HdV, a joint venture with Aubert de Villaine of Burgundy's Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, before launching his own label with his wife, Dana.

Van der Kamp Vineyard sits in the Sonoma Mountain AVA and ranks among the oldest Pinot Noir properties in the state, with its current plantings dating to 1952. Perched at roughly 1,500 feet on a north-facing bench of Sonoma Mountain, the site has been farmed by the van der Kamp family for decades using organic practices that prioritize biodiversity.

Vivier's Chardonnays are consistently described as a California cousin to white Burgundy: fresh and precise, layering citrus, orchard fruit, and a whisper of baking spice, with the kind of restraint and minerality that reward both immediate drinking and short-term cellaring. Pair it with roast chicken, shellfish, or soft-ripened cheese.