Durell Vineyard is one of the crown jewels of Sonoma Chardonnay, where the borders of Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Valley, and Carneros meet. First planted in 1979, the vineyard’s 160 acres of vines draw from a rich mosaic of soils — gravelly Los Robles in the flats, cobbly Tuscan and Goulding loams on the slopes, with pockets of Clear Lake clay in between. Winds from the Pacific and San Pablo Bay temper the valley warmth, stretching the season and creating fruit of both richness and lift.
This release will be drawn from a mix of clones and blocks, with selections taken across different soils, elevations, and exposures. The intent is to capture Durell’s full complexity — a layered “cake” of Chardonnay character where Old Wente, Hyde, Rued, Mt. Eden, and Dijon 76 & 95 each add their own voice. Naturally low yields keep the clusters small and concentrated. The resulting wine should show density and texture balanced by brightness, with breadth across the palate and tension carrying through the finish.
Access to fruit of this caliber is a rarity. Durell supplies some of California’s most prestigious Chardonnay producers — names like Three Sticks, DeLoach, Kistler, Sojourn, Scribe, Dunstan, La Crema, Banshee, and Auteur — whose wines from this vineyard retail from $50 to $180 per bottle. To secure frozen must from Durell is to step directly into that lineage, if only for a brief season. Extremely limited. Singular to Durell.
Durell Vineyard is one of the crown jewels of Sonoma Chardonnay, where the borders of Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Valley, and Carneros meet. First planted in 1979, the vineyard’s 160 acres of vines draw from a rich mosaic of soils — gravelly Los Robles in the flats, cobbly Tuscan and Goulding loams on the slopes, with pockets of Clear Lake clay in between. Winds from the Pacific and San Pablo Bay temper the valley warmth, stretching the season and creating fruit of both richness and lift.
This release will be drawn from a mix of clones and blocks, with selections taken across different soils, elevations, and exposures. The intent is to capture Durell’s full complexity — a layered “cake” of Chardonnay character where Old Wente, Hyde, Rued, Mt. Eden, and Dijon 76 & 95 each add their own voice. Naturally low yields keep the clusters small and concentrated. The resulting wine should show density and texture balanced by brightness, with breadth across the palate and tension carrying through the finish.
Access to fruit of this caliber is a rarity. Durell supplies some of California’s most prestigious Chardonnay producers — names like Three Sticks, DeLoach, Kistler, Sojourn, Scribe, Dunstan, La Crema, Banshee, and Auteur — whose wines from this vineyard retail from $50 to $180 per bottle. To secure frozen must from Durell is to step directly into that lineage, if only for a brief season. Extremely limited. Singular to Durell.
