Decoy Limited, Sonoma Coast, Chardonnay, 2023

This is an excellent Chardonnay made from a selection of vineyards in the Sonoma Coast that the Duckhorn team have worked with for years, giving us a wine that is generous and typical of the region and grape, yet with more elegance, style and focus than almost any other wine at this price point. 

With warming vanilla and light notes of oak influence, the wine brims with bright notes of ripe lemon and honeysuckle blossom. The palate delivers notes of brioche and custard, laced with citrus acidity that both balances and refreshes. The citrus notes lead on the finish, making it perfect for sunny afternoons or matching with a very wide range of cuisine, from salads and seafood to game.

Decoy was established in 1985 as a sort of second label to the Duckhorn winery. Its following allowed the brand to grow and develop in to land purchases and eventually the creation of its own winery as a stand alone project in 2008. The range of wines made by Decoy certainly has its origins in the Duckhorn winery, following the classic varietals and winemaking philosophies that are there, but there is an elegance and liveliness to these wines that seems to be more vital, held by excellent tension. The other thing that really marks out Decoy is that they operate with fruit from outside Napa - this is a winery that represents the rest of California, in glorious, detailed precision with generosity and charm. This is a range of wines that is a most unusual thing in the US: high quality and affordable.

This wine comes from the most recent release of Decoy wines, their 'Decoy Limited' series, that sources grapes for each wine from one specific sub-region within California. Chardonnay can, and does, grow anywhere. The Sonoma Coast offers cooler more moderate temperatures, which, during the heat spikes suffered by other parts of California, can yield grapes that have balancing freshness within the structure of ripeness of fruit. This therefore allows the winery to select from parcels with complete focus on a style that they want, which is unsurprisingly bright, fresh and fruity, but backed by California's sunshine and a very careful use of oak barrels: the wine is aged for 10 months in 100% French oak barrels, comprising 35% new and moderately toasted, with 65% neutral - a selection of fourth use and even some that are new but untoasted. It's a very clever attitude, showcasing grape variety, regional traditions and micro-climate, that really gives a stunning wine. And, again at serious value!

Names don't win prizes, but if they did, I'd give a prize to Dan Duckhorn. A hybrid Beano-Warner Brother's legend, he'd be feared for disrupting mayhem with his trusty fowl-imitation device that would render the culprit unable to continue in their misdemeanour upon hearing its mighty quack. But in truth Dan and Margaret set up their Duckhorn winery in 1976 and two years later released 800 cases each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. From then they have become one of Napa's leading producers, specialising (almost uniquely for the region) as producers of spectacular Merlot.