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Jean Noel Gagnard handed his eponymous Domaine to his daughter Caroline Lestimé in 1989. She had studied business in Paris, before returning to the village to take over the reins of the family estate, and had to handle male chauvinism at its most rampant. Nonetheless, she has followed her own convictions, and enhanced (rather than diminished) the reputation of this fine producer. In the vineyard, she uses no fertilisers or herbicides, but has not taken hold of the biodynamic bible.- James Halliday. 1er Cru Blanc la Boudriotte - Size: 0.48 ha (1.19 ac) Variety: Chardonnay Terroir: Facing southeast, 240-meters altitude, with shallow, compact clay soil Viticulture: Certified organic (biodynamic practices) Vinification: Delicate pneumatic pressing, indigenous yeast andmalolactic fermentation in barrel. Aged for 18 months on lees in 228L oak barrels (1/3 new).

ARNOT-ROBERTS Trout Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains The Trout Gulch Vineyard is found in a forested coastal canyon about 4 miles from the ocean in Santa Cruz County. This beautiful and pioneering site was planted by Bernard Turgeon in 1980 to the old Wente clone of Chardonnay, which is considered by many to be the heritage selection of Chardonnay in California. The soils in this cool site are fine sandy loam and the vines are carefully tended by Richard Alfaro. Harvest at Trout Gulch often has a slow-growing season resulting in wines that are high in natural acidity, strong minerality, and have notable salinity on the palate.

HARTFORD WINES Hartford Court Sevens Bench Chardonnay, Carneros

CLOTILDE DAVENNE Chablis Vieilles Vignes Chablis is a superb winegrowing region entirely dedicated to Chardonnay. Clotilde Davenne Chablis comes from the village of Courgis, right next door to her winery in Prehy. Pale in colour with hints of green, the Chablis Vieilles Vignes offers a nice freshness and aromatic nose of fresh fruits, white flowers and dried fruit. The mineral aromas, of flint in particular, make it sing.

This Premier Cru is found mid-slope on the border between Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. The slope is very regular at between 3% and 6% and the soil is clay/limestone with red earth. The subsoil is a mixture of earth and flat volcanic rock which allows an extensive root system to develop. These conditions bring finesse and a touch of minerality to the wine.

This wine is made from two parcels which are found on the border of the communes of Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. The first, which is to the left of the Clos des Perrières, has clay/limestone soil and a subsoil of volcanic rock which allows a healthy root system to develop in this limestone-rich environment. The second is on the upper slope and overlooks the Perrières quarry. Here the soil is heavily limestone, partly as marl and partly as white rock. This is interesting for the way it brings mineral notes to the wine. During tastings it often find notes of white pepper and other spices both on the nose and on the palate.

Domaine Lamy-Pillot 1er Cru En Creot, Saint Aubin Domaine Lamy-Pillot is a small family-run winery, established in 1973, which counts as relatively youthful for the region. The wines of Lamy-Pillot are consistent and drinkable in the very best sense. The 1er Cru En Creot hails from one of Saint Aubins higher sites. Lamy-Pillot describe this Chardonnay as a fat and greedy wine, rich with ripe yellow fruit, toasty butter, and honey.

This wine is a great example of why Margaret River is such a powerhouse in the cabernet department: concentration, savoury tannins, spice, and plenty of fruit. Blend of Cabernet sauvignon/Malbec/Petit Verdot. Delicious from the first to the last sip, with its very long finish.

HARTFORD COURT Far Coast Vineyard Chardonnay Hartford Court’s Far Coast Vineyard is a cool site surrounded by redwood forests, almost two hours north of the Russian River on a Sonoma Coast mountain ridge. It is an area that some call the ‘True Sonoma Coast.’ Others would simply describe the distant vineyard site as ‘the middle of nowhere.’ Far Coast Vineyard sits just south of the town of Annapolis at 800-1000 feet above sea level. The soils at this ridge-top site are well-drained Goldridge sandy loam, which helps to intensify the sense of minerality and focus on the wine produced from this vineyard. This wine was produced from a block planted to Clones 15 and 809.