2015 Lombardi Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 750 ml

Tony Lombardi’s family has been in Sonoma since the ‘40s. He’s been in the wine game for nearly his entire adult life, building a web of connections along the way. Oh, and he happened to be the brand manager for a tiny winery named Kosta Browne during their rocket-like ascent.

So when we ran into Tony, of course we were excited to see him. When he mentioned he might have some library Chardonnay that he’d held back for a series of now-canceled wine dinners, we knew we weren’t going to let him leave until we had it for our members. We love Chardonnay with a little bottle-age on it, and Tony’s 2015 has blossomed admirably over the last few years. 

When he started his own label, Tony tapped another industry-famous name: winemaker Cabell Coursey. Coursey, who counts Burgundy icons Lalou Bize-Leroy and Jacky Truchot as mentors, makes stunning wine with every project he’s on, but flies under the radar when the general public talks about the stars of Sonoma.

For this 2015 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Tony and Cabell tapped the tiny Three Starrs Vineyard—a 2.7 acre site that sits in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Planted with the classic Wente clone of the grape—which is known for bold fruit coupled with vibrant acidity—the site excelled in 2015, a year that Wine Advocate ranked as Northern California’s greatest Chardonnay vintage to date. 

The wine was fermented and aged in 18% new French oak barrels for 12 months to achieve the perfect balance between richness and brightness. Now, six-plus years later, it’s in peak form. Stock up while you can.