Alcohol: 13.2 %
Grape(s): 100 % Chardonnay
Location: Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, California, USA
Tasting Notes: Pale straw-gold. Aromas of Meyer-lemon, green pear, and white peach mingle with jasmine, crushed seashell, and a whisper of toasted almond. The medium-bodied palate is racy and precise: vibrant citrus-and-stone-fruit tension carried by electric acidity and a fine chalky texture. Subtle brioche and hazelnut tones from barrel lees broaden the mid-palate before a long, saline, mineral-driven finish.
Notes: Madson Santa Cruz Chardonnay is drawn from dry-farmed, own-rooted vines planted in fractured sandstone and ancient marine sediments cooled by Pacific fog. Harvested at dawn for freshness, whole-cluster pressed, and fermented with native yeasts in neutral French oak barrels (no new wood). Full malolactic occurs naturally; the wine rests 11 months sur lie with gentle bâtonnage, then is bottled unfiltered with minimal SO₂. Certified sustainable and vegan-friendly.
Food Pairing: Excellent with Dungeness crab, seared scallops in brown-butter-lemon, roast chicken with tarragon, creamy polenta with wild mushrooms, or soft-rind cheeses like Mt Tamme and Brie.
Winery Story: Founded in 2018 by viticulturist Cole Madson and winemaker Cameron Dudziak, Madson Wines champions cool-climate coastal sites from Santa Cruz to San Benito. The duo farms organically, relies on cover crops and dry farming, and vinifies each parcel separately with minimal intervention to showcase the region’s ocean-inflected terroir. Their Chardonnay—crafted in micro-lots of fewer than 900 cases—has quickly become a benchmark for the tension, energy, and precision that define the new-wave Santa Cruz Mountains.
