2023 Shafer - Chardonnay Napa Valley Red Shoulder Ranch (750ml)

Shafer Vineyards has crafted wine in Napa Valley's Stags Leap District for more than fifty years, a family-run estate still guided by the belief that quality begins in the vineyard. Longtime winemaker Elias Fernandez, who joined the winery in the early 1980s, oversees 250 acres of estate vineyards supplying Shafer's full range, from flagship Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon to this cool-climate Chardonnay.

The Red Shoulder Ranch vineyard sits on 68 acres in Los Carneros, where breezes off San Francisco Bay cool the growing season and preserve natural acidity. The site takes its name from the red-shouldered hawks Shafer encourages onto the property through nesting boxes and perches, a chemical-free way to control gophers. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed and fermented with wild yeast in individual barrels, then aged about nine months in new French oak and stainless steel, with malolactic fermentation blocked to keep the wine fresh and linear.

The wine opens with citrus peel, honeycomb, and white flower aromas, joined by apricot, pineapple, and a mineral note reminiscent of warm river stone. The palate stays lively and lithe, with bright acidity carrying the fruit to a long finish. Pour it alongside grilled halibut, roast pork tenderloin, or a soft, bloomy-rind cheese.