Philosophy
Our style continues to evolve at Mari as we seek the right balance of oak fermentation and lees aging to deliver a wine that truly tastes of our region.

Tasting Notes
The 2020 is a creamier, more herbal style of Chardonnay than our prior vintages. Delicate acid balances a softer rounded mouthfeel from time spent sur lee. The barrique barrels lend immediately discernible notes of coconut on the nose, followed by a surprisingly light palate reminiscent of a freshly made lemon cream sauce.

Pairings
Due to the body and flavors in this Chardonnay, we recommend pairing with triple-crème cheeses like brie, crab legs, lobster, shrimp risotto, butter chicken, corn on the cob, or any dish featuring a creamy sauce.

Vinification
The 2020 harvest brought in clean fruit with a relatively low yield. The grapes were harvested on October 13th, 2020 from our Jamieson Vineyard, just south of the winery. After pressing, the juice was fermented in third use French oak barriques and inoculated with an interesting yeast for primary fermentation. The lees were stirred daily, then weekly, until December 23rd, 2020 with malolactic fermentation occurring spontaneously. The wine aged for nine months until July 27th, 2021 when it was racked just before bottling on August 5th.

Suggested Cellaring
Enjoy this vintage now or age through 2026.