Presqu'ile Vineyards Estate Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley, California, 2016

Overview of the Wine

Located in the heart of Santa Barbara County’s singular Santa Maria Valley, Presqu’ile (pronounced press-KEEL) is a small, family-run winery dedicated to making exceptional cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Designed and planted to create a diverse tapestry of vineyard blocks, the sustainably certified, 73-acre Presqu’ile Vineyard features an array of clones, exposures and elevations. Made using this estate fruit and grapes from a handful of the finest vineyards in the valley, Presqu’ile’s wines capture the essence of their vineyards and vintages, and have earned acclaim for their elegance and balance.

Presqu’ile is a multigenerational collaboration between Madison and Suzanne Murphy, their three adult children, Matt, Anna and Jonathan, and their daughters-in-law, Amanda and Lindsey. No strangers to agriculture, four generations of the Murphy family have been farming land in Louisiana going back almost a century. The Murphys are also a family of wine lovers, with a deep appreciation for the world’s great Pinot Noirs. This love of the land, combined with their shared reverence for great wine, and a deep desire to create something meaningful and enduring together, led the Murphys to pool their talents and establish Presqu’ile Winery.

11 months in French oak (15% new), 6 months in stainless steel

Grape / Blend

100% Chardonnay 
100% Presqu'ile Vineyard

Origin

Santa Maria Valley, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

As our site has gained maturity, the distinctive character of our Chardonnay has become apparent, and beginning with the 2013 vintage we felt it was time to broadcast this singular voice. The sandy soils of our Estate result in a taut, mineral-laced expression of Chardonnay, an old-world sense of balance and tension allied to an aromatic and textural profile that is unmistakably Presqu’ile. Though radiant now, ultimately, this is one for the cellar.

91 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chardonnay Presqu'ile Vineyard opens with mineral notions of crushed stone and toast, fleshing out to honey-drizzled apples, sliced almond and white peach plus a Greek yogurt tinge. Medium-bodied, the palate gives up pretty, honeyed fruits with very tangy acidity and a long, nutty finish. Decant both of these Presqu'ile Chardonnays, as they will show much more with time and air.

Product size: 750ml

Madison Murphy on the Origins of Presqu'ile from Presqu'ile Winery on Vimeo.