By Morrows
Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay Paraiso Vineyard 2019

Estate
Morrows honors the influence of land and sea on this unique appellation and its wines. The name denotes the promise of coming days and an ancient Scottish sea god - our nod to the marine influence key to the region's wines' varietal character and fruit intensity. The label represents the meeting of earth and ocean, and the significance of both, in this exceptional, single-vineyard Chardonnay from the acclaimed Santa Lucia Highlands AVA.

The Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
Tucked against the Santa Lucia Mountains south of Monterey Bay, the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA is the source of some of America's most renowned single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. The region enjoys a long growing season and abundant sunshine but cools each afternoon thanks to one of the world's largest submarine canyons just off Monterey Bay. This expanse of cold, deep-sea water pushes fog and wind into the Bay each day, pouring into the Highlands, tempering the warm, sunny growing conditions. This cycle allows the grapes to ripen gradually but fully, resulting in small berries with deeply concentrated flavors and generous, silky wines that retain a vibrancy.

The Vineyard
The grapes for this Chardonnay are sourced from Paraiso Vineyard, founded by Rich Smith, who established the Santa Lucia Highlands as an approved American Viticultural Area in 1991. The vineyard is certified sustainably farmed. The Chardonnay comes from 15-year-old vines planted in gravelly and sandy clay loam soils at 800 feet above sea level, contributing to the fruit's complex flavor development.

Winemaking
Our winemaker, cool-climate Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir expert, Derek Rohlffs, takes a minimalist approach with grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands to allow this cool-climate Central Coast terroir to shine through. The grapes were harvested in mid-September and, after fermentation, underwent complete malolactic conversion in the barrel on lees with no battonage. The wine was then aged for ten months in used barrels. Oak fermentation and aging add a rounder, creamier flavor and texture component to the bright, vibrant elements.

Winemaker Notes
The Morrows 2019 Paraiso Vineyard Chardonnay is pure, precise, and perfectly balanced. Brilliant yellow-gold color in the glass, the wine opens with aromas of apple, white peaches, saltwater taffy, and white flowers. The wine's soft, juicy entry on the palate leads to delicious apple, nectarine, apricot, and lemon meringue flavors with nascent depth and a lightly creamy texture. This evolves pleasantly into racy acidity and a minerality that builds on the back half to a clean, crisp, and vivacious finish. This wine pairs beautifully with fish, shellfish, poultry, and white meat, whether grilled or served in a luscious cream sauce.

Technical Details
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13.10%
pH: 3.55
TA: 0.57 g/100ml
Aging: 10 months equal parts French and Hungarian used oak barrels
Release Date: June 2021
[Information provided by Trinchero Family Estate]

MORROWS CHARDONNAY SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS PARAISO VINEYARD 2019
Monday, July 5, 2021
Country: United States
Region: California
Vintage: 2019
Score: 91
Apricot, sliced apple and salted butter on the nose. Some vanilla, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with creamy layers and crisp acidity. Lightly tangy, lemony finish. Fresh and clean. Drink now.

Morrows 2019 Paraiso Vineyard Chardonnay (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Rating: 88
Designation: Paraiso Vineyard
Variety: Chardonnay
Appellation: Santa Lucia Highlands, Central Coast, California, US
Winery: Morrows
Alcohol: 13.10%
Bottle Size: 750.00 ml
Category: Red
Date Published: 9/1/2021
Reviewed by: Matt Kettman
Delicate aromas of wet rocks, underripe lychee and toasted nuts show on the nose of this bottling. There is a steely tension to the palate, where yellow-apple rind and tangerine-peel flavors arise.