2023 Summum Chardonnay

Summum continues to be a high-wire act: tense yet lissome, refined yet seemingly effortless, and ultimately, nothing short of thrilling. Crunchy tree fruits, tuberose and fresh buttermilk are only the entrance to a mouthwatering, complex wine of length—one that illustrates why Dominique Lafon, a true master of Meursault and White Burgundy at large, fought to keep this special stripe of Chardonnay at Seven Springs nearly two decades ago. For that we thank him. While Summum is more than enjoyable on its own, the wine will stun all the more with scallops or roast chicken.

The fruit for Summum comes from just the rocky top of 14 vine rows that form the backbone of Seven Springs Vineyard. Here, the soils were formed by ancient volcanic eruptions that sent blazing lava down the current vineyard’s slopes. About 15 million years later, we’re lucky to farm our vines in these mineral-laden soils, which, like the vines they house — forced to push deep into the ground — coax precision and depth from the resulting wine.