2020 Ceritas, Peter Martin Ray Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or. Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

The Santa Cruz Mountains, a wine region in Northern California spanning Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo counties, is renowned for its high-quality, cool-climate wines. Influenced by the Pacific Ocean, the diverse microclimate favours the cultivation of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and other varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ceritas is a family-owned winery in California that produces small quantities of handcrafted wines. The winery is known for its focus on terroir-driven Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sourced from vineyards in Sonoma, Mendocino, and Santa Cruz counties. The owners, John and Phoebe Raytek, have a deep passion for wine, and their goal is to produce wines that express the unique qualities of the vineyards where they are grown.