This is one of the best Chardonnays coming out of California today, thanks to winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. Case in point is when the sommelier at Aura, the Four Seasons in Calistoga, gave us a glass of 2012 a few weeks ago and it was phenomenal, tasting and drinking as if it had been a newly bottled Chardonnay. The same goes for this new offering. "The wine is a luscious color with bright golden hues, the nose is delicate with a slightly sweet honey nectar scent. There are hints of grapefruit and lemon that fill your senses. There are citrus notes and spice adding depth of flavor. The 2020 is a magical balance of richness and freshness." 155 cases were produced.

Shibumi Knoll’s Chardonnay has proven to be among the best Chardonnays coming out of California, thanks to winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. The 2005 vintage received a 97 from the Wine Spectator and tied for the highest score given to a California Chardonnay in the first decade of this century. As a young winery just starting out, this is what put Shibumi Knoll on the map. Buena Terra Vineyard has been their sourced grower vineyard since the beginning and now their vines are 53 years old and produce big, tight golden bunches of grapes and have been working with the same 2.4-acre block since the beginning. The clonal selection is all Old Wente and the vines are head-trained and dry-farmed.