#1: 2020 Leaning Post “Clone 548” Chardonnay 🔥 96+pts 🔥 Top Wine of the Year!

Bar-none, this was the #1 Chardonnay tasted out of 112 Chardonnays at our live tasting marathon.

Both Carl and members were blown away by the quality and unique characteristics of this wine. It's a WOW wine and we can't wait to see how it will age!

For more details on the 2024 Chardonnay Tasting Marathon, see our blog post here.

More Info on This Special Wine:

Clone 548, typically the backbone of Senchuk Vineyard Chardonnay, stands solo for the first time and is a truly wonderful expression of what we love about this clone.

Nose: The nose has multiple layers starting with salted caramel and lemon curd with hints of floral notes such as orange blossom and rose petal.

Palate: The palate is an expansion already highlighted in the nose – salted caramel, candied lemon, lemongrass, and wet stone minerality. There is a beautiful richness that is tight in the core with waves of flavours that keep unfolding with some time and air.

Finish: The mouth-watering acidity emphasizes the saline characteristics found on the nose and palate.

Pairing: Poached salmon with a buttery sauce, chicken, pork or pasta in a creamy sauce pair stunningly with this wine.

The estate Senchuk Vineyard is home to two clones of Chardonnay – Clone 548 & Clone 96.

Hand-picked and hand-sorted on September 15, the clones were gently whole-cluster pressed (separated by type) and allowed to settle in tanks for several days prior to fermentation. After being racked into barrel (1 puncheon; 4 barriques) for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and aged for 18 months. After skillfully selecting the best barrel combination to properly highlight the wine, the 2020 Clone 548 Chardonnay settled naturally in tank before being bottled in June 2022.