Domaine Anderson is nestled in the breathtaking, fog-cooled hillside and mountain terrain of Northern California’s Anderson Valley. The cooling marine layer that is characteristic of this region provides ideal conditions for the cultivation of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes.

Domaine Anderson’s 13.7 acres of chardonnay vineyards span from the warmer, up-valley Boonville area to the cooler regions closer to the Mendocino coast. They reside on the valley floor, gently sloped knolls, steep hillsides, and offer soils ranging from rocky, river gravels to the finest clay loams.

The Walraven Vineyard sits on a southwest-facing slope above the small community of Boonville in the Anderson Valley. Soils are generally light in structure, consisting of a mix of clay, sand and gravel. The moderately high position above the valley floor channels the gentle summertime afternoon breezes to cool grapes during growing season and limits the yield to achieve balanced and flavorful grapes.

Grapes were hand harvested at night to take advantage of the cool temperatures. Grapes berries were gently crushed to break open berries and the skins were left to soak for one hour with the juice before loading press. Before racking to barrel, juice was allowed to fully oxidize before fermentation with indigenous yeast. Some lees stirring was used to add body before the onset of a natural uninoculated malolactic fermentation. Ten months barrel aging before blending following summer. After blending, the wine was transferred to small 75-gallon stainless steel barrels for further aging. Light filtration and bottling the following winter.

Pale yellow and transparent in the glass, showing aromas of grilled peaches, melon and lemon curd. With a creamy, soft texture and gentle oiliness on the palate the flavors are defined and precise with hints of apricot, tangerine and marzipan.

Pairs beautifully with baked salmon and lemon, fried calamari and cilantro lime aioli, and a variety of cheeses such as manchego and camembert.