Alcohol: 13%
Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay
Location: Sonoma Coast, California, USA
Tasting Notes: The Ceritas “Carex Vineyard” Chardonnay opens with vivid lemon zest, green apple, pear, and subtle stone fruit, delivering a crystalline purity of flavor. Its character is sharpened by a saline, chalky minerality born of sandstone soils, giving the wine precision and lift. On the palate, it is taut yet layered, with lees-aged richness balanced by vibrant acidity, creating both depth and tension. Gentle oak influence—fermentation in 7–12-year-old barrels with 25% new oak, aged 12 months on fine lees—adds nuance without overshadowing the fruit. The wine concludes with a long, focused finish that hums with energy, a hallmark of Ceritas’ restrained and terroir-driven style.
Notes: The Carex Vineyard, planted in 2004 with meter-by-meter spacing, yields tiny clusters of Chardonnay with thick skins, providing remarkable structure and longevity. Ceritas crafts this wine with meticulous care: the fruit is hand-harvested, crushed on stems, and gently pressed, followed by full malolactic fermentation. It is then aged for 12 months in barrel—primarily neutral with a touch of new oak—before resting in stainless steel prior to bottling, ensuring purity and precision. The result is a mineral-driven Chardonnay of depth and complexity, often likened to the iconic Porter-Bass bottlings for its expressive Old Wente character, combining tension, elegance, and site transparency.
Food pairing: The Ceritas “Carex Vineyard” Chardonnay shines alongside the briny elegance of oysters, scallops, and crab, where its saline minerality mirrors the sea's freshness. Its taut acidity and layered texture complement grilled halibut or Dover sole, enhancing delicate flavors without overpowering them. For richer fare, a creamy risotto with lemon and herbs finds balance in the wine’s citrus lift and lees-driven depth. Finally, the long, focused finish pairs beautifully with luxurious triple-cream cheeses such as Brillat-Savarin or Délice de Bourgogne, creating a decadent yet harmonious match.
Winery Story: Ceritas Wines, founded by John Raytek and Phoebe Bass, focuses on single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains. Their philosophy emphasizes minimal intervention, organic farming, and transparency to terroir, producing wines that are precise, age-worthy, and deeply expressive of site. The Carex Vineyard bottling is one of their most distinctive, showcasing the cold Green Valley microclimate and sandstone soils that yield wines of tension and longevity.
