2022 La Luke Chardonnay Carneros Sonoma County 750 ml

Every year, La Luke Chardonnay disappears—usually before leaving Napa Valley. That’s because insiders know that Stéphane Vivier’s signature guarantees exceptional quality, and his tiny-production 2022 is no different.

The Wine Spectator Top 100 winemaker made his name helming Hyde de Villaine—the only project outside of France by DRC’s Aubert de Villaine, best known for his $25,000 bottles of Burgundy—and also for stewarding Chardonnay legend Stony Hill. It’s hard to think of many winemakers as identified with Chard as Vivier.

Vivier’s genius with Chardonnay has been long established, yet the Burgundy native’s modesty is almost as reliably charming as his wines. His affable, self-deprecating demeanor makes it easy to forget his formidable credentials, especially when he jokes, “I am a lazy winemaker.”

We’ve never believed him. Especially after tasting his 2022 La Luke Chardonnay—a wine that brings real Burgundian verve to beautifully pure California fruit.

But we know what he’s implying. In Burgundy, the most exalted winemakers are indeed known for their laissez-faire approach, allowing the alchemy of nature to do what it does best. Or if you ask Vivier, “lazy winemaking.”

La Luke is Vivier’s passion project with proprietor Lynn Larson, whose Carneros clay soils are uniquely well-draining—they’re thin and flecked with small rocks, much like what you’d find in the Grand Cru vineyards of Chablis. That, along with the foggy mornings and windy afternoons, creates a perfect environment for slow-ripening Chardonnay, which is why the grapes are imbued with such delicate nuance and palpable minerality.