Awards and Accolades

90 Points - Wine Spectator
“Balanced and fruit, with juicy apricot, pear and guava flavors, accented by spice hints. Creamy notes linger on the pastry-filled finish”

From the Winery

A cool climate means grapes spend more time on the vine. That allows a deeper, more dramatic spectrum of avors and aromas to develop. And that creates decidedly rich and layered wines.

The 2015 growing season was highlighted by an unusually dry winter followed by a warm and dry spring. Warm weather and sparse rainfall continued throughout summer leading to an early start to harvest and reduced yields. Grape quality was exceptional and the smaller crop resulted in wines with great character and concentrated avors. The La Crema Chardonnay harvest in Monterey began on September 2, 2015.

Our boutique, hands-on techniques continued into the winery. The fruit is a mix of hand and machine picked, which is gently pressed followed by twenty-four hours of settling before being racked to barrel for fermentation. Fifteen percent of the lot was co-inoculated with the house strain of malolactic bacteria. The barrels were then used to top the remainder of the lot during post primary fermentation
and the lees were stirred monthly.