2019 Pellet Estate Chardonnay Sunchase Vineayard Petaluma Gap 750 ml

Within the California wine industry, Tom Rinaldi is a legend.

A member of a legendary class at UC Davis—his cohort included Randy Dunn, Continuum’s Tim Mondavi, and future Harlan winemaker Bob Levy—he took the job as Duckhorn’s first ever winemaker. Over his two decades there, he turned the winery into one of Napa’s most iconic names.

Since then, Rinaldi has gone on to launch Provenance and Hewitt—where he landed Wine Spectator Top 10 honors, producing the #1 California wine of the year on their Top 100 list. He also makes the wines for Pellet Estate, a star producer whose Chardonnay hails from one of the most coveted sites in the Petaluma Gap.

Sunchase Vineyard is one of the highest in the entire appellation. With its position above the fog line, it enjoys a long growing season and has become one of the most coveted places in Sonoma to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Dan Kosta of Kosta Browne, Guarachi, and Carte Blanche all buy grapes from Sunchase—but Tom Rinaldi’s Chardonnay stands as our favorite rendition.

In the beautiful 2019 vintage, notable for being one of California’s best this century, Tom channeled all of the expertise he’s accumulated over the years into a bottle that stands with the absolute best in Sonoma. The rich nose is full of toasted spice, while the palate is layered with salty caramel and saffron flavors, thanks to a 16-month stay in a perfectly measured 30% new French Oak. 

When we tasted it, we immediately started thinking about names like Kistler and Ramey—the absolute finest wines from the area—which is certainly where Tom Rinaldi and Pellet see themselves.