2017 Chappellet Grower's Collection Chardonnay Calessa Vineyard Petaluma Gap 750 ml

Chappellet sits on one of the irrefutably great terroirs in California. So when they and their 100-point winemaker Phil Titus go beyond the estate to source Chardonnay, you can bet they put their instincts, and their stratospheric standards, to work.

That’s how they made their way to Sonoma County’s prestigious new Petaluma Gap AVA to craft the 2017 Chappellet Grower Collection Chardonnay Calessa Vineyard. It’s a golden-hued, full-bodied, and balanced clarion call for lovers of Chardonnays like Kistler and Kosta-Browne who wouldn’t mind having that first-class Sonoma County quality for about half the price. 

When we first tasted the Calessa Chardonnay, we found ourselves reveling in it, savoring every sip like we do great Burgundies and California classics. To be honest, we were a little perplexed—with all the talk of Chappellet’s world-class reds, where were all the Chardonnay raves? 

Then, with the golden Chardonnay lingering on our lips, the light bulb went off. Most of this delicious Chardonnay is earmarked for the Chappellet mailing list, savvy wine lovers who buy up just about every bottle—and keep this small production Chardonnay a secret. Well, today the secret’s out, and we’re bringing you a chance to join the club at just $44. 

On our last visit to the estate, we reflected the massive leap of faith it took to plant on Pritchard Hill back when Donn and Molly Chappellet first did it in the 1960s. Following their nose for terroir and bolstered by the approval of Napa Valley godfather André Tchelistcheff, they took a chance on the area that is now revered the world over for producing some of the most precious wines in Napa Valley: not just Chappellet’s classic Cabs, but reds like Colgin, Continuum, and Ovid.

But Pritchard Hill isn’t pitch-perfect for every grape, which is why when Chappellet started their Grower Collection, focusing on cool-climate Sonoma County wines. They partnered with prestigious sites that clear the high bar they’ve set over five decades. And for their latest Chardonnay, they’ve homed in on the Calesa Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap, the AVA that was granted official status in 2017. 

Consisting of a thin strip of land stretching from Bodega Bay on the coast to the town of Petaluma, the region is defined by the afternoon winds that blow in from the Pacific, cooling the vines, slowing fruit development, and leading to smaller berries with great phenolic qualities. 

The rocky, steep, and challenging Calesa Vineyard is farmed by the acclaimed grower Oscar Renteria, and Chappellet has laid claim to a few prized hillside blocks where the gravelly loam soils are planted to a diverse array of Chardonnay clones—ENTAV 548, Robert Young, Dijon 809, and Spring Mountain. 

That mix contributes to the beautiful harmony that marks every last sip of this full-bodied and beautifully balanced white. Whether the bottle’s from Pritchard Hill or the Pacific coast, Chappellet’s first-class quality and the work of their 100-point winemaker always shines through, this time in a Chardonnay in keeping with the very best of the Sonoma Coast.