Inside Track Limited Release Chardonnay (Los Carneros) 2023

At the crossroads of Napa and Sonoma counties, in California’s Los Carneros region, the winery behind the impeccably balanced Inside Track Limited Release Chardonnay has earned a laundry list of accolades in its 40-plus year tenure. Thanks to our local wine expert, we were able to score the bottle for a friend’s only price just for agreeing to keep their name under wraps.

While we can’t reveal the producer, we can give you a few key details about the wine (which is what really matters, right?)...

Its fruit comes from a highly lauded, sustainably farmed vineyard managed in partnership with the esteemed Sangiacomo family. A former pear orchard that was planted to grapes in the late 1960s, it combines loamy clay topsoils with alluvial subsoils, prompting vines to dig deep for moisture—a good thing!

The wine was fermented with native yeasts in a mix of French oak barriques and 500-liter puncheons (another, much larger oak vessel), aged 14 long months in wood and was then transferred to stainless steel drums for a bit longer. This combination of containers allows for Chardonnay’s natural sleek minerality and bright fruit tones to shine though oak influence perfectly.

To that end, you can expect aromas of citrus blossom, green apple and pear to greet you upon uncorking, leading to a palate of lemon curd and white peach finessed by toasted hazelnut. Bright acidity knits everything together and ensures a clean-cut finish.

Exclusive and extremely limited, this is sure to sell out. Order soon.