Estate Update
We’re kicking off our 2024 release schedule with great enthusiasm and anticipation for the exceptional releases we’re about to unveil. Each year brings its own set of challenges and triumphs, and the stories of the vintages we present this month are as rich and complex as the wines themselves. Our team is excited to share our new releases with you that not only showcase the best of our terroir but also the resilience and dedication behind every bottle.
The 2022 vintage posed a unique challenge for us in San Luis Obispo, marked by hotter conditions that tested the resilience of our vineyards. Despite these hurdles, our Estate Chardonnay emerged triumphant, a reflection of our adaptive winemaking strategies and the robust character of our terroir. This wine captures the intense vibrancy and concentrated flavors fostered by the year’s warmth. It shines with fresh Bartlett pears, crisp apples, beeswax, and blanched almonds. Bright citrus and clean acidity intertwine with a briny minerality through the mid-palate, showcasing the depth and complexity of this challenging year.
Following our Estate Chardonnay is our limited production, flagship 2021 Chamise Chardonnay. Chamise epitomizes our winemaking excellence, born from nearly five decades of vine farming at Chamisal. Crafted in very small lots from a single Estate Vineyard block, it’s a product of profound site understanding, blending soil, microclimate, and clonal precision. The drought year of 2021, one of our driest, paradoxically favored winemaking, reducing yields but enhancing quality. Harvesting spanned from September to October, resulting in a wine with preserved Meyer lemon, white flower, fresh meringue, and toasted hazelnut notes. Chamise boasts a remarkable concentration, a flinty minerality, and a textural complexity that culminates in a lengthy, voluminous finish.
The 2020 Califa Syrah our cool climate Syrah’s masterpiece, radiates with a deep ruby/purple color, unveiling layers of blackberry and boysenberry aromas, enriched by savory, gamey undertones and the hallmark cured black olives. Enhanced by the delicate touch of new oak, which introduces a hint of pencil shavings, this wine’s black fruit vibrancy is unparalleled. Exceptionally crafted for aging, it is already irresistible. 2020 began with unprecedented dryness, later balanced by vital late spring rains, nurturing the vines into delayed but robust budding. Despite a cooler summer and a historic heat spike in September, our vines showcased remarkable resilience. Originating from our vineyard’s premier sections, the Califa showcases our terroir’s excellence. Purposefully aged an additional two years before its release, this practice underscores our commitment to demonstrating the Chamisal Syrah’s exceptional aging potential, ensuring each bottle reveals the depth, complexity, and elegance that time bestows.
