Highway 12 Chardonnay 2021
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The nose presents light tropical hints of charred pineapple and bright citrus. The fruit and floral notes are balanced by light acidity and a rich toasty vanilla oak warmth to round out the finish. Beautifully balanced Chardonnay that seems "just right."
In 2003, long-time friends Paul Giusto and Michael Sebastiani joined forces to create their own wine company called Generaionons of Sonoma. Around this time, there were several family wineries that were being purchased by large corporations, so their goal was to create a wine brand that was to be considered Sonoma’s “Hometown Winery”. Putting their combined years of experience together with their long-term relationships with some of Sonoma Valley’s iconic family owned growers, the Highway 12 brand was born.
Reflective of the laid-back Sonoma lifestyle, Highway 12 Winery has stayed true to its roots with strong ties to the local community and prides itself in its non-pretentious approach about wine’s role in everyday life. At Highway 12 Winery, “Clean Jeans” are the attire for those special events where other brands prefer a suit and tie. When visiting the winery, you will find friendly, down to earth people with a lot of them being multi-generation Sonoma residents and farmers just swinging by to say hello.
The Highway 12 Winery we’re not just business partners with our growers, they’re long time Friends. Relationships that span over two decades have solidified trust and respect between Us and our grower partners resulting in the best selection of grapes from California’s most Iconic vineyards adjacent to Highway 12, California’s wine highway.
California’s most praised white wine, Chardonnay is also the state’s most planted white grape variety. Diverse terrain and microclimates allow for an incredible range of wine styles.
Chardonnay planted in the cooler, coastal zones takes on bright characteristics like lemon zest, key lime, green apple and wet flint. For this style, look to the chilly Sonoma Coast, Carneros, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands and Edna Valley.
The inland zones of California’s coast, such as the Russian River, Sonoma, Napa and Livermore Valleys maintain a more Goldilocks-esque climate where both styles go. Early picking retains acidity and creates a leaner style but leaving the grapes to hang creates an approachable Chardonnay, balancing richness and finesse.
Chardonnay also plays a major part in the sparkling wine production of the Anderson Valley and Carneros.