2016 Alma de Cattleya Sonoma County Chardonnay

Professional Reviews

Notes

The story of Alma de Cattleya begins in Medellín, Columbia where winemaker Bibiana González Rave was born and raised before moving to France in search of a wine education. After finishing her initial technician diploma near Cognac, Bibiana followed that up with a degree in Oenology from the University of Bordeaux, working harvests at Château Haut-Brion and other top estates in the area. After picking up additional experience in both Burgundy and the Northern Rhône, as well a stint in South Africa, she made her way out to California and worked her way up into a head winemaking position at Lynmar in the Russian River region. It was in Sonoma that she finally found her heart's terroir, the ability to make wines that truly expressed her soul's intentions. So she decided to put down roots. With a desire to make expressive wines from her new home, the newly established label Alma de Cattleya is focused on sub-$30 options that exhibit the crisp, cool climate character of Sonoma County fruit with a message geared toward consumption rather than collecting. Bibia is using her relationships with local growers, gained from her time at Lynmar, to source excellent fruit from under-the-radar sites around the region.