Maître de Chai "Wheeler Vineyard" Chardonnay, San Benito County, California 2022

FROM POLANER SELECTIONS:

THE WINE: The 2022 Chardonnay Wheeler Vineyard is a bit more finessed and also more tropical than the 2021 tasted alongside it. Tangerine oil, marzipan, spice and white flowers lend an exotic flair, yet it also offers lovely freshness. A year of experience working with this site paid off handsomely. This is a big step up from the 2021.

THE PRODUCER: In the case of Alex Pitts and Marty Winters of the Maitre de Chai winery, both food and wine figure prominently in their resumés. Having worked in top kitchens, cellars and even as front-of-the-house sommeliers, this combined experience has informed their approach to making their own wines. Their winery, Maitre de Chai, was established in 2012. Together they look to make wines of high quality in a way that best showcases the ingredients that top California vineyards can produce. From unique and distinct single vineyards that are impeccably farmed, they seek a sense of place where the grapes are grown as well as a true personality of the sites. Their wines obviously are meant to go with food, and not surprisingly, have always been mainstays in restaurants.

The wines of Maître de Chai demonstrate a commitment to the less is more approach. The winemaking goal is to capture the purity of fruit and site specificity without the interference of oak (no new oak is utilized in the cellar), additives, or excessive use of sulphur.. All ferments are done using native yeasts and all the winemaking and elevage is done at their own facility located in Berkeley. Although they are always on the look for top vineyard sites, the roster includes: Ellison Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain (Sauvignon Blanc), Wheeler Vineyard in San Benito (Chardonnay), Stampede Vineyard in Clement Hills (Zinfandel), and Gala Vineyard in Napa (Cabernet).