2023 Cambria - Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley Katherine's HALF BOTTLE (375ml)

Katherine's Vineyard takes its name from Katie Jackson, another daughter of Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke, honored in 1986 not long after the family took ownership of Cambria Estate Winery. The vineyard sits at the western edge of Santa Maria Valley, close enough to the Pacific that persistent ocean breezes slow ripening through the growing season. Its soils run deep with ancient marine history, layered with fossilized seashells, shale, limestone, and sand, a combination that gives Cambria's Chardonnay its distinct mineral backbone.

This 100 percent Chardonnay is fermented with a split approach, roughly thirty percent in stainless steel and seventy percent in barrel, preserving freshness while still building texture. The wine then ages seven months in French oak, about a fifth of it new, a treatment designed to add warmth without overtaking the fruit. The valley's rare east-west orientation channels marine air deep inland, extending the growing season and keeping natural acidity intact even as the grapes ripen fully.

The nose offers lemon balm, baked apricot, and macadamia nut, framed by a touch of honeysuckle. On the palate, pear, apple, and citrus peel meet a lightly salted mineral core, with warm oak carrying through the finish. Bright acidity keeps the wine feeling energized rather than heavy. Pour it with shrimp scampi, herb roasted turkey, or a citrus fennel salad.