Radio-Coteau ‘Wingtine’ Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2020

Radio-Coteau is a sought-after cool-climate producer on California's north coast, certified biodynamic since 2008 and run by Eric Sussman, who trained in Burgundy. Wingtine is its precise, mineral-driven Chardonnay - named after the specialised plough used to work the sandy Goldridge soil here - and it sits at the leaner, more delicate end of the spectrum, where the Savoy is the richer one. The fruit comes from two sites: Radio-Coteau's own biodynamic estate and the neighbouring Heintz Ranch, an organically farmed vineyard with old vines that Robert Parker rated among the finest Chardonnay sites in California. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed and fermented across concrete egg, stainless steel and neutral oak - vessels chosen to add texture without flavour - then left on the lees with no stirring, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The point is to keep the wine taut and let the site speak. The result is all energy and precision: crisp apple, pear and yellow citrus, a lift of honeysuckle and lemongrass, and a flinty, saline minerality over mouthwatering acidity. Coastal, mineral, and built to refresh. Serve at 10-12C.