2019 Chardonnay Marena

This is a fabulous set of wines from John Raytek at Ceritas. Beyond the usual suspects, the wines that impressed me most were actually the appellation Chardonnay and Pinot, both of which are absolutely delicious. Like most of his colleagues, Raytek describes 2019 as a year with a moderate growing season. Vines grew a bit more than normal because of heavy rain in the spring. As a result, berries were bigger than normal. In tasting, the 2019s are a bit nervy, especially the Pinots, so giving the wines time in bottle is a good idea. All of the vineyard designate Chardonnays and Pinots saw 12 months in barrel and four months in tank prior to bottling. Also, of note this year are an extended-age version of the Trout Gulch Chardonnay and a stellar rendition of the Cabernet Sauvignon, both 2018s from the Santa Cruz Mountains. These remain some of the most distinctive wines in all of California.