Lot #52 Saintsbury

The 2024 vintage offered a unique opportunity to source Chardonnay from the storied Gap’s Crown Vineyard, resulting in Saintsbury’s first exploration of Chardonnay in the Petaluma Gap. “Luisona” (aka “Big Luisa”) is the name of Saintsbury’s new 750L Tava amphora. Named by Assistant Winemaker Nicola Pellacani (from Emilia-Romagna in Italy), “Luisa” is an Italian term of endearment to describe a grandmother and “Luisona” (Dolce) is a cream-filled brioche pastry that resembles the amphora’s unique shape. It was Nicola’s job to construct a box to transport the fragile vessel to the winery but he underestimated the size of the amphora and Luisona couldn’t be contained by the ample carrier. “Luisona” was the primary fermentation vessel for this single lot, single clone (Dijon 96) Chardonnay, which had never before been used for white wines.

Bill Price’s Gap’s Crown Vineyard is a flagship site on the western flank of Sonoma Mountain. Despite its inland locale, Gap’s Crown has a decidedly coastal influence and is a “winemaker’s vineyard” through and through. These 20-year-old vines are in their prime, carefully managed by the Price Family’s Director of Viticulture, Rob Harris.

“Anfora Luisona” is vibrant with racy acidity balanced by green fruits and cooked quince. The wine has a strong coastal influence — mineral and precise but with the warmth and texture of quintessential California.

WINEMAKER(S): Tim Colla, Jaime Hurtado, Nicola Pellacani, Alejandro Torres, Jaime Torres

ESTIMATED BOTTLING DATE: August 2025
ESTIMATED SHIPPING DATE: January 2026

National Distribution: AL, CA, FL, IL, IN, KY, MA, MI, NJ, NY, OH, TN, TX, VA

International Distribution: None

A winemaker dinner or store visit is offered in your market as part of this lot. Must be scheduled on a mutually agreeable date.