2012 Chardonnay Damiana Vineyard

Over the last few years Thomas Fogarty has come on strong with a set of stellar Chardonnays and Pinots. The winery itself is a sort of nucleus for the surrounding hillside vineyards that inform the wines. Fogarty gives the single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinots about 18 months in barrel, which is on the long side by California standards. The Pinots are vinified with a good dose of whole clusters, which gives them considerable aromatic lift to match the inherent salinity of these sites. In 2012, the growing season was quite favorable for both the Chardonnays and the Pinots, which are expressive and highly nuanced throughout the range. Readers who haven't checked out the Fogarty wines owe it to themselves to do so. Tommy Fogarty and his team led by winemaker Nathan Kandler are making some of the most exciting wines in the Santa Cruz Mountains and California.