2018 Cameron Abbey Ridge Chardonnay

Made with the precious Draper clone of Chardonnay, this wine is made from a very small block at Abbey Ridge. The grapevines are on a steep hillside of volcanic soil but you would swear from the resulting wine that a layer with calcium must lie underneath…it doesn’t!  And yet the wine is minerally and austere as one would expect from a classic Chablis.  

Two years on the yeast in neutral barrels fill-out the mid-palate. And while the acidities from 2018 are notable, this particular wine stands out in that regard.

Technical Details:

Abv: 14.1%
Clone: Draper

About the Winery:

Founded in 1984, Cameron winery is a family operation dedicated to producing high-quality, hand-crafted and sustainably farmed wines. They produce 3,000-4,000 cases annually and follow traditional burgundian practices such as only fermenting with indigenous yeasts from the vineyard, growing grapes without irrigation, and ageing wines in small oak cooperages for 18-20 months. 

As co-founders of the Deep Roots Coalition, Cameron winery champions dry-farming and has for decades. Owner John Paul takes a hardline, believing that if you irrigate you shouldn’t get to talk about terroir. By dry-farming they ensure the vine roots are deep, searching for water during years with less rainfall. As a result, the vines produce smaller clusters, with smaller berries that are more concentrated; which provide the backbone for Cameron’s exceptional wines.