2021 River Vibes Chardonnay Sonoma County 750 ml

The hills around Cazadero are one of the best places to grow Chardonnay on the “True” Sonoma Coast. But nobody would know that if it weren’t for the Bohan family. 

A UC Davis expert scoffed at Mike Bohan in 1974, claiming their ranch on Bohan-Dillon road was too cold, too close to the ocean. Luckily he and his son George didn’t listen. They cleared, staked, and planted 19 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay by hand that year.

The Pacific is still in charge here—and it’s magic for Chardonnay. These fog-shrouded slopes are now home to Flowers’ iconic Camp Meeting Ridge ($90) and Martinelli’s Three Sisters Vineyard, where Marcassin once made a $300+ Chardonnay—not to mention the legendary Hirsch Vineyard. 

George Bohan planted a second vineyard a little closer to town in 1989, and not just anyone can buy the fruit. You have to be connected, like cult winery Sandlands’ Tegan Passalaqua. Or like Gianna Fugazi, former assistant winemaker for Flowers. 

Gianna scored a few tons of Bohan’s coveted coastal grapes, and they form the core of her 2021 River Vibes Chardonnay. She blended this fruit with a small lot from Worner Vineyard in the Russian River subzone of Green Valley, adding a little body and extra richness from this site further inland. 

Fugazi built an invaluable network—and base of knowledge—during her five-year tenure at Flowers Vineyards and Winery. That was when she got to know their Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard (and neighbor down the road) George Bohan, gaining special access to his old vines and expert farming. Her winemaking experience helped her shape those perfect raw materials, which resulted in this gorgeous bottle of Chardonnay.