Drew Bahl Briney Chardonnay 2019
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Pale straw in color. The aromas consist of crushed rocks and flint with Meyer lemon and lychee notes. The entry is fresh and Vibrant with citrus, stone fruits and wet stones with a touch of salinity hinting at the soils oceanic origins. There is an elegance and energy to the wine that aligns the mineral and energized fruit notes consistently from the front of the palate to the back. This lean beautiful Chardonnay is zesty and balanced with energized intensity while still being light on its feet.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine strikes a good balance between a touch of buttery richness and lively fruit flavors. It is medium to full bodied, offering light butter and honeydew-melon flavors followed by good citrus notes. Restraint is a good thing in this case. Best from 2025.
Other Vintages
2021- Vinous
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Wine
Enthusiast
Jason and Molly Drew started Drew eighteen years ago with a clear goal in mind: to craft small lot coastal wines that express site specificity and traditional varietal character. While the beginnings of Drew began in the Santa Rita Hills AVA in 2000, they transplanted their small operation to the Mendocino Coast in 2005 to establish their estate ranch and winery.
In 2004 they had stumbled upon an old 26-acre apple orchard for sale within the Mendocino Ridge Appellation. The Mendocino Ridge is the most westernmost AVA within Mendocino County located directly west and south west of Anderson Valley and directly north of the true Sonoma Coast. While others saw a daunting project in this old orchard property, Jason and Molly saw ancient oceanic soils, south facing slopes and a true coastal climate, with the ocean a mere 3.3 miles away. It didn't take long for them to decide to leap and leap they did.
They spent the following year drawing, planning and building their boutique winery. Spending that year living in a 19 ft Airstream trailer along with their two young boys, to ensure construction moved as planned. They eventually planted their 7-acre estate Pinot Noir vineyard, which produced its first crop in 2014. A milestone that was hard earned after 25 years in the wine industry. Jason is a true craftsman of his trade having spent many years honing his craft with his viticultural and winemaking background, having worked for several northern and central California estate winery and vineyards.
Drew continues to focus on small lot coastal Pinot Noir and Syrah from both Anderson Valley and the Mendocino Ridge. They continue their long-standing partnerships with several local vineyard growers who share their passion for sustainable and meticulous farming practices. Single vineyard sources are chosen for their climate, clonal selection and complexity of soil type. Winemaking practices remain focused on traditional methods that include whole cluster and native yeast fermentations, hand punchdowns and in most instances, no fining or filtering.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Essentially a northern extension of the Sonoma Coast AVA but part of Mendocino County, Mendocino Ridge is one of the rare appellations defined by elevation only. The Mendocino Ridge AVA is reserved only for vineyards at or above 1,200 feet between the Anderson Valley and Pacific Ocean.