Firestone Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

Viticulture

This wine is comprised of grapes from select appellations that are blended together to create a delicious, lively, medium-bodied Chardonnay.

Vinification

6 months barrel aging: 20% in new French oak, 80% in older French oak

Tasting notes

This Chardonnay is blended with small amounts of Moscato and other mixed whites to add sweet notes and complexity, while 100% malolactic fermentation adds body and depth. This wine offers aromas of stone fruit, apricot notes and a hint of toasted brioche. Crisp peach notes give way to lush and creamy toasted oak on the finish.

Producer Description

Firestone Vineyard began when Leonard Firestone, who started a farm in Santa Barbara County in early 1970, began to grow grapes for wine in the Santa Ynez Valley. Leonard, who is the son of Harvey Firestone, the founder of tire manufacturer Bridgestone, inherited his father’s entrepreneurial spirit and realized that the Santa Ynez Valley, which was not at all recognized as a wine-growing region at the time, had the perfect oceanic climate and soil for growing grapes. Following this realization, he started a vineyard with the aim of raising grapes for major wine producers in the Napa Valley region and elsewhere. Santa Ynez Valley borders the Atlantic Ocean on its west side and is surrounded by mountains in the east. Although there are microclimates for each region, overall the climate is mild throughout the year. This allows the grapes to mature slowly over a long period of time, making for well-balanced fruit.

 After a while, his son Brook and wife Kate joined the business, and as the vineyard began to grow they decided to build their first estate winery in Santa Barbara. In 2007, the Firestone Vineyard joined the Foley Family Wines group, which is formed of many local wine brands in Santa Barbara, and continued its operations.