Summit 1376 Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-seared scallops, roasted chicken with tarragon butter, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from a dramatic high-altitude site perched at 1,376 feet elevation on Sonoma Mountain, the Bevan Cellars Summit 1376 Chardonnay is a masterclass in mountain-grown white wine. This extreme vineyard sits well above the fog line, basking in intense California sunlight during the day while being cooled by brisk nocturnal winds. This unique microclimate allows the Chardonnay grapes to achieve maximum physiological ripeness while retaining a backbone of vibrant, electric acidity. Winemaker Russell Bevan applies his signature hands-on, non-interventionist approach here, utilizing native yeast fermentation, extensive battonage (lees stirring), and aging in select French oak barrels. The result is an incredibly opulent, multi-dimensional Chardonnay that balances decadent textures of lemon curd, toasted brioche, and hazelnut with a striking mineral core derived from the volcanic mountain soils.
🍾 About the Producer
Bevan Cellars was founded in 2005 by self-taught winemaker Russell Bevan, quickly ascending to cult status within California's fine wine landscape. Celebrated for an unabashedly opulent, hedonistic, and precision-driven winemaking style, Bevan partners with premier growers across premier microclimates in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Sourcing spans esteemed terroirs such as eastern Oakville's red volcanic and alluvial soils at Tench Vineyard, the rocky slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain, and cool maritime sites in the Russian River Valley and Petaluma Gap. Viticulture emphasizes meticulous canopy control and sustainable vineyard management, harvesting fruit at optimal physiological ripeness. In the cellar, Bevan employs minimal intervention, indigenous fermentations, squeaky-clean sorting regimens, and customized French oak aging. Benchmark bottlings include his single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons such as Tench Vineyard and Sugarloaf Mountain, proprietary red blends like Ontogeny and EE, alongside textural, vibrant Sonoma Coast Chardonnays and Ritchie Vineyard expressions.
🍇 Grapes
Chardonnay