2020 La Luke Chardonnay Carneros Sonoma County 750 ml

Last year as our Master of Wine Vanessa Conlin was sitting at his kitchen table, Stéphane Vivier poured her a gorgeous, gold-flecked Chardonnay without showing her the label. The Burgundy-born master—longtime winemaker at Hyde de Villaine (which belongs to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s Aubert de Villaine) and former winemaker at Napa Chardonnay icon Stony Hill—sat there as she swirled, sniffed, and took a big sip.

Finally, after she finished, he asked her what she thought. Her response?

“I think it’s freaking incredible, that’s what I think!”

Stéphane smiled, then showed her the bottle. It was his La Luke Chardonnay from Carneros. 

Aiming to make the finest Chardonnay that she could, La Luke proprietor Lynn Larson built her winery by claiming a superb 10-acre terroir, then surrounding herself with people who could help her in her audacious quest. Enter Stéphane Vivier.

Stéphane’s pedigree is tough to top. He was handpicked by Aubert de Villaine, director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to lead the French legend’s only project outside of France. It was there, at Hyde de Villaine, that Stéphane made a name for himself by crafting wines that fused classic Burgundian sensibilities with the sunny terroirs of the Golden State.

Stéphane’s got all he wants in Lynn’s clay soils—which are thin, flecked with small rocks, and well drained—and his 2020 La Luke Chardonnay could easily be mistaken for a classic white Burgundy, if not for its serious California swagger. It's no mystery why this wine is typically snapped up quickly by in-the-know Napa locals: It’s a phenomenal bottle that gorgeously expresses its terroir—and it’s a complete joy to drink.