Sonoma-Cutrer Les Pierres Chardonnay
Sonoma-Cutrer Les Pierres Chardonnay is a 750mL single-vineyard Chardonnay — 100% Les Pierres Vineyard, on the Sonoma Coast — and the flagship bottling of a winery that has specialised in Chardonnay since 1973. "Les Pierres" means "the stones," for the vineyard's gravelly clay-loam soils over a former riverbed full of cobbled stones, which the winery credits for the wine's signature flinty minerality; the stones store the day's heat while coastal fog lengthens the growing season. The house method for Les Pierres, consistent across its official sheets, is 100% barrel fermentation in French oak on the lees with full malolactic fermentation. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 14.2% (all verified neighbouring vintages)
- Size: 750mL
- Grape: 100% Chardonnay, single vineyard
- Vineyard: Les Pierres Vineyard, Sonoma Coast — gravelly clay-loam over a stony former riverbed
- Winemaking (house pattern): 100% French oak barrel fermented on the lees, full malolactic fermentation
- Tier: Vineyard-designated flagship Chardonnay
- House: Sonoma-Cutrer — Chardonnay specialist since 1973
The Stones Vineyard, the House Flagship
Sonoma-Cutrer is one of the few California wineries built entirely around a single grape, and Les Pierres is the vineyard the whole reputation rests on. Planted on a former riverbed of stone and clay loam near the coast, it ripens slowly through fog and afternoon wind, and the winery treats it with its full Burgundian program — whole clusters pressed, the free-run juice fermented entirely in French oak barrels on its lees, and full malolactic fermentation, a pattern its official vintage sheets repeat year after year. Where the winery's Russian River Ranches bottling is the crowd-pleaser, Les Pierres is the connoisseur's pour: tighter, stonier, built to age. See the house on the Sonoma-Cutrer vendor page, compare the Sonoma-Cutrer The Cutrer Chardonnay bottling, or browse more white wine.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Lemon and lime with Bosc pear, caramel and oak spice, plus the vineyard's signature flinty minerality (2012 winemaker notes via Wine.com). Palate: Grapefruit and lime citrus balanced by toasty, caramelised oak and spice, with a round, full mouthfeel from the barrel program. Finish: Long, bright citrus acidity carrying barrel spice.
How to Enjoy
Serve around 50°F — and give it air; Les Pierres opens noticeably over half an hour. It is a food wine at the top level: lobster, scallops, roast chicken with pan juices, or simply a quiet glass on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Les Pierres mean? "The stones" in French — the vineyard is named for the cobbled stones in its gravelly clay-loam soils over a former riverbed, which limit the vines' vigour, store daytime heat, and are credited with the wine's flinty minerality.
How is Les Pierres different from Sonoma-Cutrer's other Chardonnays? It is a single-vineyard, vineyard-designated bottling — the winery's flagship — versus blends like Russian River Ranches that combine multiple vineyards.
Can Les Pierres Chardonnay age? Yes — its acidity, concentration and barrel program make it one of California's more age-worthy Chardonnays, developing honeyed, nutty complexity over years.
The flagship, from the stones — order Sonoma-Cutrer Les Pierres Chardonnay from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.