# LIOCO Sonoma County Chardonnay (2024)

- **Producer:** LIOCO Wine Co.
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** California, United States
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €26
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 8–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, pear, lime, quince, blossom

## About this wine

LIOCO was founded in 2005 by wine salesman Matt Licklider and his wife Sara as a counter-movement to the heavily oaked, high-alcohol California Chardonnay styles of the era. Drawing inspiration from classic European regions and historic California benchmarks, the estate emphasizes cool-climate sites, organic farming, and restrained intervention. Sourced from cooler reaches across Sonoma County—including old-vine sites in the Sebastopol Hills and Alexander Valley—this wine is crafted as an explicit nod to pure, stainless steel-fermented Chablis.

## Interesting facts

- Crafted as an explicit homage to the un-oaked, minerally driven Chardonnays of Chablis.
- Founded in 2005 to offer an energetic alternative to heavily oaked California Chardonnays.
- Fermented completely in stainless steel without oak or lees stirring to preserve fresh acidity.

## Food pairing

The high, vibrant acidity and clean structure cut through rich fat, butter, and fried coatings while complementing delicate seafood and salty dishes with refreshing clarity.

## Wine making process

Grapes were hand-harvested in early September 2024 at modest sugar levels to retain vibrant natural acidity. Upon arrival at the winery, fruit was destemmed and foot-trodden prior to whole-cluster pressing. Fermentation took place entirely in stainless steel tanks without oak contact or lees stirring (battonage) to maintain linear clarity. The wine aged for six months in stainless steel before racking and bottling following a gentle cross-flow filtration.