Linda Vista Chardonnay 2020

Type

White

Grape

Chardonnay

Region

Value

Vibe

Farming

Characteristics

Acidity

Body

Umami

Production Notes

Organically farmed by Steve Matthiasson, Linda Vista is a cool site, despite (or rather because of) it’s southerly orientation in Oak Knoll District. In Napa, the laws of latitude are reversed: it gets colder the further south you go towards San Pablo Bay. This explains why, in the 1960s when sweeping decisions were still being made in Napa about what to plant where, Linda Vista Vineyard was selected as an ideal site for Chardonnay. Following a gentle pressing, Tim left the juice to settle in the tank overnight. Spontaneous fermentations occurred in neutral French oak barrels. Post-fermentation: two barrels were left on their lees until bottling to build texture and complexity, while the third was racked to stainless steel for brightness. 3 barrels produced. Total sulfur 29 ppm. 12.7% alc.

Linda Vista Chardonnay - 2020

Chablis-like energy: each sip is like looking up at the stars. Combines punchy, citrusy tones with supernatural grace. Oyster shells and canary melon.

Toshokan — which means library in Japanese — pays homage to winemaking as an act of curation. Having come of age amidst the New California Movement, Tim’s foundational wine drinking experiences came not from Europe, but rather from hometown heroes like Donkey & Goat and Matthiasson. (He would later go on to work for both producers.) As a result, the wines feel refreshingly self-assured, evoking a free-wheeling spirit of creativity and craftsmanship that’s grounded in the here and the now. Toshokan sources grapes throughout Northern California, primarily (soon to be exclusively) from organic sites. Cellar work is as rigorous as it is minimal, with purity and site expression as primary goals. All fermentations are spontaneous (no commercial yeasts) and only small amounts of sulfur are used.