2024 Chardonnay Blend $35
85% Chardonnay with 15% Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from our west Petaluma vineyards, co-pressed at harvest. Fermented in stainless steel with lees stirring, no oak. Soft, floral, and easy drinking — but still lean, elegant, and low in alcohol.
As a tiny estate winery, we have the luxury of making something new and experimental when the vintage gives us the right pieces. We named this one 'Belle Marie' after Mike's mother, Marie Barber — a lifelong Chardonnay fan and devotee.
This is not a standard Chardonnay. After a short crop of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from a couple of our west Petaluma vineyard sites, we decided to do something a little crazy. When we were pressing our Chardonnay, we fresh-pressed about 15% of these red varietals into the white juice — a technique they use in Champagne to make most of their sparkling wines. Like the rest of our whites, it was fermented in stainless steel with lees stirring and saw no oak, keeping the flavors bright and fresh. The result is an off-dark straw color, an unusual amount of floral and red-fruit aromatics, and a wine that is soft and easy drinking but still lean, elegant, and low in alcohol.
The Petaluma Pairing: From Our In-House Cheese Shop
'Belle Marie' is a lean, floral, berry-tinged white that asks for cheeses with finesse and weight. Because we own and operate the Petaluma Cheese Shop right inside our tasting room, we've hand-selected pairings that let the wine's red-fruit accents and stainless-fermented brightness do the talking:
The Match: We recommend a Double Creme Brie or a Rich & Creamy Goat Cheese. The bright acidity and herbal lift of the cheese plays off the wine's floral aromatics, while the soft bloomy rind echoes its round, easy-drinking mid-palate — neither overwhelms the wine's lean frame.
The Experience: Visit our shop counter inside the tasting room and order a cheese board, or ask us about the perfect cheese pairings for our chardonnay.
Technical Specs:
Composition: 85% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris (co-pressed at harvest)
Vineyards: West Petaluma estate sites (Petaluma Gap AVA)
Winemaking: Fresh-pressed red varietals into white juice; stainless-steel fermentation with lees stirring; no oak
Profile: Soft, floral, easy-drinking — but lean, elegant, and low in alcohol
Tasting Notes: Honeysuckle, white peach, fresh strawberry, and orange blossom.
Cellaring: Drink now while bright; best within 2–3 years.
Production: Experimental small-lot (150 cases)