2019 Keltom Roots "Unoaked" Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Keltom Roots winemaker, Brycen Hill's day job is Vineyard Operations Manager for Paul Hobbs / CrossBarn. So, I think it's safe to say he's got his finger on the pulse and access to some of the very best fruit in wine country! His own tiny label focuses on single vineyard expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from hand-selected blocks in the Russian River Valley that Brycen believes are truly special. This bottling is from the Irwin Lane Vineyard, coming from a block of clone 72 (Wente,) this Chardonnay gets it right where so many unoaked Chardonnays fall short. It has wonderful full flavor and texture. It isn't a dilute, tart, simple wine like so many of its kin. Brycen obviously chose not to oak this wine because the quality and flavor of the fruit didn't need anything else to complete it. It's a wonderfully pure, transparent wine and celebrates the unadorned qualities of the grape and place without any veneer. (Ryan Woodhouse - K&L Domestic Wine Buyer)