2020 Arista Chardonnay Banfield Vineyard

The 2020 Chardonnay Banfield Vineyard is lifted and vibrant aromatically, with fresh herbs, lime zest, fennel, and fresh flowers. On the palate, this medium-bodied white is juicy and rounded with wonderful purity and fresh acidity without harshness. Ripe honeydew melon fills the palate, with a refreshing, soft stone texture and a touch of salinity. It’s a beautiful wine from this site in the Green Valley of the Russian River. Located in the heart of the Russian River Valley, Arista Winery was founded in 2002 by Al and Janis McWilliams, who handed over day-to-day operations to their children, Mark and Ben, in 2012. Today, the winemaking is overseen by esteemed winemaker Matt Courtney, who spent eight years with Marcassin. Additionally, Matt makes wines under his own label, Ferren. He holds back an additional year in bottle for both wineries before release. Thus, the most recent coverage is for the 2020 vintage, where they made the difficult decision to only produce white wines due to the impact of the fires.

The 2020 Chardonnay Banfield Vineyard comes from vines planted in 1980. It was matured in 35% new French oak for 12 months and finished with an additional six months in stainless steel. The nose is shy to begin, taking time to offer peach, citrus blossom and beeswax perfume. The medium-bodied palate pairs expansive, gently honeyed fruit with focused acidity that drives the layered finish. Intense and bright at this youthful stage, enjoy it over the next 3-5 years. 350 cases were made.