Maxem, UV Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma, California, 2023

Overview of the Wine
Sam, in his winemaking career, has been on the ground floor of some of Napa Valley’s most exciting wine projects in recent history, helping to plant vineyards, build wineries and cement reputations with wines that speak of the unparalleled sites in which they’re grown.

Nancy, as a chef, spent years in top restaurants in New York and Napa Valley, honing her craft and her palate beside celebrated chefs who demanded nothing less than perfection.

This project would not exist except for one very special person, Ulises Valdez. Ulises manages the UV Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast, a site well-known to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fanatics. We’d tasted wines from this vineyard several times, and though we knew it was a longshot, we decided to see if we could purchase some of its fruit.

The site wasn’t the only thing attractive about UV, although its coastal location, well-drained soils, and meticulous farming protocol are precisely what we sought.

Winemaker
Sam Kaplan 

Grape / Blend
Chardonnay

Origin
Sonoma, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
In Latin, MAXEM has the distinction of meaning “best of the best.” It also combines our two children’s names, Max and Emma. With the Ulises Valdez Vineyard as our source, we make Pinot Noir from the historical Calera clone and Chardonnay from the equally acclaimed Wente clone. Sam is winemaker; Nancy, with her laser palate, has an equal say. The grapes lend themselves to the style of wines we both love: exquisitely balanced with bright acids and high tones yet richly textured and possessing full depth of flavor. It is our palates that have driven us here, to this style of wine and especially to the amazing UV Vineyard.

Product size: 750ml