Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is a 750mL white wine from California's Sonoma Coast — the winery's signature estate Chardonnay, blended from four of its estate vineyards plus carefully selected grower lots in an appellation shaped by Pacific breezes, fog and wide day-night temperature swings. The listing carries no vintage, and the strength varies by year on the winery's own tech sheets: 13.9% ABV for the 2022 and 14.1% for the 2024, the current release. The winemaking is the house signature — hand-harvested in cool early mornings, the grapes cooled to 50–55°F, hand-sorted and whole-cluster pressed, then fermented 75% in French oak and 25% in tank with full malolactic fermentation and 8 months in French oak. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 13.9–14.1% by vintage (official tech sheets: 2022 at 13.9%, 2024 at 14.1%)
- Size: 750mL
- Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
- Appellation: Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California
- Sourcing: Four estate vineyards plus selected growers (official tech sheets)
- Winemaking: Cooled to 50–55°F, hand-sorted, whole-cluster pressed; 75% oak / 25% tank fermentation, 100% malolactic, 8 months French oak (about 19–20% new)
- Producer: Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Sonoma County, CA
The House Style: Burgundian Method, Sonoma Coast Fruit
Sonoma-Cutrer has made estate Chardonnay its single focus for decades, farming vineyards across the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley and handling the fruit with a Burgundy-inspired discipline: night-cool harvests, a cooling step unusual in California, whole-cluster pressing of hand-sorted fruit, and barrel fermentation with lees ageing. The Sonoma Coast bottling is the blend that carries that house style to the table — bright acidity first, barrel spice second. Browse the estate via the Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards vendor page or the wider white wine collection.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Stone fruit, apple blossom, honeydew and tropical papaya with subtle oak spice, caramel and almond brioche (official 2024 sheet). Palate: Ripe pear, golden apple and allspice over a soft mid-palate. Finish: Bright acidity and lingering barrel spice.
How to Enjoy
Serve chilled. The wine's acidity and gentle oak suit grilled fish, roast chicken, shrimp and creamy corn or squash dishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ABV? It depends on the vintage: the winery's tech sheets list 13.9% for the 2022 and 14.1% for the 2024. The bottle's label confirms the year in hand.
Where does the fruit come from? Four Sonoma-Cutrer estate vineyards plus selected growers, all in the Sonoma Coast appellation, per the winery's tech sheets.
How is it made? Hand-harvested, cooled to 50–55°F, hand-sorted and whole-cluster pressed; fermented 75% in French oak and 25% in tank, with full malolactic fermentation and 8 months in French oak.
The Sonoma-Cutrer signature, ready to pour — find Sonoma Coast Chardonnay at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.