Category: | White Wines |
Sub-Category: | White Wines |
Producer: | Littorai |
Label Name: | Charles Heintz Chardonnay |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Country: | United States |
Region: | Sonoma Coast, California |
Volume: | 750ml |
ABV: | 13% |
Grape(s): | Chardonnay |
Acidity: | 4 |
Sweetness: | 1 |
Body: | 4 |
Length: | 4 |
Aroma Intensity: | 5 |
Best Temperature: | 12-14°C |
Awards/Ratings
James Suckling 98; Jeb Dunnuck 96; Wine Advocate (Erin Brooks) 95+; Antonio Galloni (Vinous) 95; Lobenberg 96+. Widely praised by major critics and highly scored in 2023–2024 reviews
Tasting Note
Bright, mineral-driven Chardonnay: lemon oil, green apple and white-peach with saline/sea‑spray, flinty reduction and fresh herbal notes. Silky, medium‑full palate, vibrant acidity and a long, saline finish.
Food Pairing
Roast chicken, butter-poached lobster, grilled salmon, creamy pasta, goat cheese salad; Asian: miso‑glazed black cod, sashimi/sushi, tempura prawns, steamed fish with ginger and scallion, pork gyoza.
Production Method
Whole-cluster/whole‑berry pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation and barrel (barrique) fermentation in French oak (≈25–30% new). Full/near-full malolactic, 11–14 months élevage, minimal intervention and largely unfiltered.
Vineyard Info
Littorai (Ted & Heidi Lemon), founded 1993, is a small family producer focused on site-driven Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; farms organically/biodynamically and was among the first to bottle a single-vineyard Charles Heintz Chardonnay.