If you loved the Tyler Chardonnay we featured awhile back, you've got to try the Enfield Citrine Chardonnay.
Crafted by John Lockwood, who like Justin Willett at Tyler is one of our country's top young vignerons, it tastes "almost French," with its refined, elegant, and balanced style. There is a seamless grace to the wine, all of its pieces are connected, and it would fit right in on a fancy French restaurant's wine list.
We just got 10 cases in, and we've got it priced at $27.99/bottle best price (no further discounts). That's one of the best prices in the country!
That's John Lockwood, deep in thought about his wines.
All of my friends in California love John Lockwood. They tell me he's not only a super nice guy, but that his wines should cost 2-3x what they do. His resume is certainly impressive - he worked a couple of harvests with Ted Lemon at Littorai before joining Ehren Jordan at Failla, where he managed their Sonoma Coast and Russian River estate vineyards.
In 2010, he started Enfield Wine Co. as a small side-project while still working at Failla. By 2013, demand for his Enfield wines had risen dramatically, and he decided to make it his full-time gig. We're glad he did, and Lockwood's commitment to only working with small and unique vineyards and independent growers is admirable, but more importantly, it leads to delicious wines.
Case in point is his 2023 Citrine Chardonnay, which is a blend of grapes from 4 different heritage Chardonnay sites including Rorick, Haynes, Brosseau, and Heron Lake. Brought up primarily in older, neutral French oak barrels and fermented with native yeasts, it is a wine that makes an immediate and decidedly positive impression.
Broad and rich yet crisp and refreshing, it has something that many California Chards lack -- MINERALITY. In addition, there's a lovely "fruit set" here -- white peach, mango, lime zest, and tropical fruits combine with white flowers and saline minerality to create a drinking experience you don't want to end. All in all, this is a wonderful, French-inspired California Chardonnay that drinks better than many wines that cost a lot more.
At just $27.99/bottle, one of the best prices in the US, it will fly out of the shop quickly.
Get some to have with Thanksgiving, but get some to lay down too. This will age and get better over the next decade.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
