Current Release

Description

In 2020 we decided to branch out and try Pinot Noir from different appellations. While most of the north coast was under a cloud (literally) of smoke, the central coast was less impacted, and so we found ourselves down in the Santa Rita Hills, exploring what fruit might be available to us. This led us to the Spear Vineyard, where we were able to acquire a small amount of Pinot Noir.

The Santa Rita Hills region is a fascinating place, highly marine-influenced in soil and climate. Like much of the central coast, the climate is almost entirely defined by proximity to the ocean and the sea breeze. The Santa Rita Hills runs east-west, and the wind blows directly down the valley, keeping it dramatically cooler than more landlocked areas to the north and south. The soils are either clay loam that was once seabed or deposits of sand and diatomaceous earth—the calcareous skeletons of tiny marine creatures. 150 cases made. SOLD OUT!

Our Pinot Noir is named “Chong Feng” 重逢, to reunite. Reuniting with old friends and family is one of life’s joyous moments that we treasure dearly. We crafted this wine to celebrate the unity that bonded all of us together.

The 2020 vintage was warm pretty much across California, and the wine from the Santa Rita Hills shows this. Although we took a light-handed approach to extraction, the wine offers plenty of ripe fruit and body. The aromas are a combination of brown spices and fresh berries. There is an abundant sweet fruit on the palate, but lively acid keeps things fresh. We aged this in mostly neutral French oak barrels to preserve the character of the fruit. Like many of the best wines, it improves with air. Consider giving it a decant and letting it open up a bit before drinking.

Description

2020 was a tricky year for grape growing. There were multiple heat waves throughout the year that put stress on both farmer and grapevine, culminating in the fires in the fall, which complicated matters even further. We learned a lot about how fires and smoke impact wine grapes; however, most importantly, how to avoid picking smoke-damaged fruit and determine whether the fruit was OK. Fortunately, we were able to harvest the Chardonnay from the McIntyre vineyard with no damage at all and even better. Despite all the difficulties during the growing season, it turned out to be an excellent year.

The Chardonnay was fermented with naturally occurring yeast and aged in a combination of small and large oak barrels. Very little new oak was used to give the flavors of the grape an unfettered expression. 100 cases made. SOLD OUT!

We named our Chardonnay “Xiang Si” 相思, which means to think about the ones you care for and love. We wanted to dedicate this wine to our families and friends who have been guiding and supporting us along this challenging yet exciting journey.

We take Chardonnay seriously at ShunYi and are definitely inspired by old world Chardonnay. Since we are making wine in the new world from new world grapes, the wine has an unmistakable generosity and ripeness, but it is balanced by fresh acidity and toasty notes from aging on the lees. Our block at McIntyre vineyard gives us fruits with bright flavors every year, and it also brings lovely secondary flavors of beeswax and honey. All this adds up to a wine that we hope combines the best of the old and new world—the kind of wine we like to drink ourselves.