Project Description
2017 Sierra Mar Vineyard Chardonnay
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
Tasting Notes
“Pale straw hue. Brilliant scents of orange, caramel, butterscotch, and fuji apple. These are followed by notes of ripe banana, white peach, and grapefruit. Upon taste, these characteristics persist on the palate and are framed with tension and vibrancy. While this wine is fresh and edgy at this time, its density and concentration will continue to unravel and soften this wine over time. Enjoy now through 2026”
~Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
“Translucent straw-yellow. Deep-pitched, smoke- and mineral-accented aromas of ripe orchard and pit fruits are complemented by pungent floral and vanilla overtones that build with aeration. Palate-coating pear nectar, peach, tangerine and buttered toast flavors pick up a smoky lees nuance on the back half. Deep yet surprisingly lively in character, delivering solid finishing cut and leaving a sexy floral note behind.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni Vinous
November 2019
Production Data
Growers: Franscioni Framily
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
Barrel Aging: 10 months
Cooperage: 100% French Oak, 33% new
Production: 10 barrels
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Acidity: 7.25 g/L – 3.29 pH
Alcohol: 14.2%
Harvest: September 8, 2017
Club Release: October 31, 2018
Consume Now through 2026
Past Vintage Wine Scores
Sierra Mar Vineyard
The Sierra Mar Vineyard is owned by the Franscioni Family and is located at one of the highest elevations in the Santa Lucia Highlands at just over 1,000 ft. The land is a dramatic 44-acre site that has been in the Franscioni Family for four generations and was originally part of a 420-acre cattle ranch. The steep and remote vineyard is divided by terrain and alluvial plains into distinct blocks with individual terroir. Gary Franscioni says Sierra Mar’s naturally thin soils, gusting winds, lack of water and high-altitude inaccessibility make for extremely exceptional wines. Testarossa is proud to be able to make wines from all five of the Franscioni/Pisoni properties.