Sixteen by Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2021

Majestic Sonoma Coast Chardonnay crafted by the exemplary Paul Hobbs that is drinking absolutely perfectly right now... come and get it! This is poured in multiple Michelin Star restaurants in Napa and Sonoma, but I can assure you they’re charging a much loftier price than our groovy deal. 

David Dunphy is an artist-turned-self-taught-viticulturist who founded Sixteen by Twenty in the early 2000s alongside his wife, Karen. Their first commercial vintage was in 2005, naming the winery after the 16x20-inch dimensions of a standard canvas as a representation of the balance and composition required in both great painting and great winemaking. Since the beginning, they’ve partnered with renowned winemaker Paul Hobbs to bring this personal, art-driven project to life.

What started small – just 15 cases in their first vintage, loaded into a truck and driven around Napa to try to sell by hand – has grown into a resounding Napa success story. With roughly 15 acres across Napa Valley and 3,000 annual cases, they’ve kept their production small, but their impact is luminous and ever-expanding, gracing Michelin restaurant wine lists and savvy wine buyers’ cellars year after year.

Their 2021 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is pulled from two breezy, coastal vineyard sites with a blend of rich Old Wente and crisp Clone 6 Chardonnay clones. It ages for 11 months in French oak that adds lavish structure and subtle texture to the bright, zippy, cool-climate elements. This is a wine that reflects a modern, restrained California style that leans more toward balance and sea spray-freshness than the heavier and more oak-infused Cali-Chards of yesteryear.

In the glass, this shows bright, layered flavors of golden peach, Honeycrisp apple, and lemon peel, balanced expertly with crunchy seashell mineral undertones and fresh acidity. Hints of warm hazelnut and vanilla cream come in toward the back-end, offering a lovely roundness to such an energetic kick-off. This is fresh, vibrant, and incredibly balanced, with a true sense of Burgundian restraint that makes it both approachable and nuanced. If you search anywhere else, it retails for at least $60 – but you can get it here for WELL over 50% off that, at just $24.95! Do yourself a favor and grab a few! 

PAIRING IDEAS: Go full-send and roast a whole chicken with a lemon-herb crust to accentuate all the wine’s vibrant, punchy notes while cutting the acid with the chicken’s juicy, dark meat and crisp, salty skin.