Taub Family Vineyards Martinelli Vineyard Charles Ranch Chardonnay 2022

There’s a specific energy found in the wines from Fort Ross-Seaview—a tension between the punishing Pacific wind and the generous California sun that you just don’t get anywhere else and the 2022 Taub Family Vineyards “Charles Ranch” Chardonnay is a pitch-perfect example.

The Charles Ranch is legendary. Planted in 1981 by George Charles (the father-in-law of Lee Martinelli Sr.), it was one of the first forays into this rugged, high-elevation territory. At 1,200 feet, these vines sit right at the edge of the world, overlooking the ocean. While the Martinelli family is world-renowned for their own riper, more opulent bottlings, the Taub family’s interpretation of this fruit leans into finesse and structural clarity.

The 2022 vintage was marked by low yields and incredible concentration, and it shows. This isn’t your typical buttery California Chardonnay; it’s a wine of remarkable cut and saline minerality. It manages to be dense and supple without ever feeling heavy. It’s a sophisticated, coastal Chardonnay that speaks more to Puligny-Montrachet than to the tropical, oak-heavy styles of the past.