2020 J Lohr Arroyo Vista Chardonnay

J Lohr was founded in 1973 by the eponymous Jerry, who originally looked at the cool and windblown Monterrey coast. Fairly quickly building a successful business with the lovely terroir there, he expanded to Paso in a search for a place to grow truly great Cabernet. And, with no doubt - he found it. Founding the Hilltop Vineyard pretty quickly, they expanded rapidly off the back of the quality of Paso Robles fruit and the exceptional quality of the wines they were producing. Nowadays this is one of USA's favourite wines - not requiring pretence or shouting to show how damn good it is. This is a Cellar's favourite across the board, with the Seven Oaks and the Riverstone proving firm favourites amongst our customers.

J. Lohr's Arroyo Vista Chardonnay is grown in the heart of the windswept and cool Arroyo Seco AVA in Monterey County. Loamy sand and gravelly loam soils of the Elder series are intermixed and underlain by 'Greenfield potatoes' - large, round stones that absorb heat during the day and radiate it after sunset. This underlayment of stone effectively limits root growth to the top three to five feet of soil, harmoniously balancing the fruit and shoot growth of this richly-flavoured Chardonnay. Light straw in colour, the Arroyo Vista Chardonnay exhibits intriguing aromas of Meyer lemon cream, yellow flowers, baked pear, crème brûlée and toasted hazelnuts. The rich palate texture is derived from the use of classic Burgundian techniques, such as primary and malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels and weekly stirring of the lees during aging. The texture is balanced by fresh flavours of apple, pear, and citrus, with a long, sweet oak finish.