2023 Lioco - Chardonnay Sonoma County (750ml)

Experience Lioco's 2023 Chardonnay from Sonoma County, a wine that illustrates how a clean, character-driven profile can transcend trend. Crafted by the husband-and-wife team Matt and Sara Licklider, Lioco sources grapes from like-minded growers across Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties, with this bottling drawing from ranches in the Russian River Valley and the Sonoma Coast corridor. For the 2023 vintage, the fruit was hand harvested in early to mid-October, foot-tread crushed at the winery, and pressed directly into stainless steel. In a deliberate choice, the winemaking team did not include any barrel-fermented lots, making this Chardonnay 100% tank-fermented and aged. The result is a wine that emphasizes Chablis-like tension and minerality that emerge from the coolest growing year, while remaining distinctly California in its precision and clarity. Low in acidity and weight yet remarkably expressive, the wine rests at 12.5% alcohol and carries a bright 3.4 pH, giving it a mouthwatering quality from the first sip to the finish. The palate is taut and steely in structure, yet generous and creamy through the mid-palate, delivering balance and texture without oak influence. Tasting notes unfold with an elegant arc: on the nose and in the mouth, you’ll find golden apple, chalk, mint, marzipan, and chamomile, with citrus, citrus blossom, wet stones, and white flowers adding lift. A touch of lanolin rounds the edges, and the finish brightens with Meyer lemon oil and persistent, crisp acidity. Recommended pairings highlight the wine’s purity and minerality: fresh oysters, fish and chips, or shrimp scampi. This is a Chardonnay that rewards a thoughtful, food-forward approach and invites a conversation about terroir, technique, and restraint.