La Rochelle Experience

There are vineyards that express intense cold climate flavors and structure and those that reflect the boldness and volume of warmer regions. And... then there's Ferrington Vineyard. 

I often tell visitors that Ferrington is a gem in our portfolio. For both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it's as if we grew half of the grapes on a warm region and the other half in a very cool climate, and then blended the extreme characteristics of both places into one wine. 

Ferrington Vineyard is the only one I know that expresses the best of both worlds, all from one magical site. The heat of the day and the cold, cold nights create an average temperature that is classified as cool climate. The reality is, during the day it gets quite hot for Pinot Noir and our style of Chardonnay. 

When the Chardonnay and Pinot Gods created the Ferrington vineyards, they smiled.

This release  starts with our Estate Chardonnay. We are so delighted to have discovered this intense flavored Chardonnay so brightly balanced with beautiful acidity right in our own front yard. It's complemented with the Lester Family Vineyard Pinot Noir, possibly our most expressive example of terroir. The cold climate, so close to the ocean allows these grapes to mature fully and slowly. The extended hang time helps the grapes assimilate all the flavors that surround this beautiful spot.

These last releases of 2025 include two magnificent wines. I don't believe we have two other wines, in our portfolio, that exhibit such distinct character. 

The extreme cold climate at Mariah boosts the acidity to uncharted levels. The high levels of malic acid create a rich creamy texture after malo-lactic fermentation, The remaining bright acidity creates an intense balance between richness and tart acidity. This is unlike any Chardonnay we have ever seen.

Gary's Pinot Noir is a California classic. Even though there are two famous Garys in SLH, there Is only one Gary's Vineyard.