2022 LUSTRAL CHARDONNAY – TOP 50 WINES, #29
We are thrilled to announce that our 2022 Lustral Chardonnay has been selected as no. 29 in Decanter’s top 50 US wines of 2024. Clive Pursehouse, US Editor of Decanter, celebrates this honor: “A barrel selection from the top Chardonnay of the vintage crafted by winemaker Kate Payne Brown of Ambar Estate. The 2022 is only the second vintage from this Dundee Hills estate. It is provocatively aromatic, as elegance is imbued with an intense core of smoky grilled lemon, juicy ripe Meyer lemon pulp, and salty oyster shells. The palate flashes thirst-slaking acidity. The seemingly endless finish is evocative of the marine air from the Pacific not far off on the other side of the Coast Range. Payne Brown has crafted one of the vintage’s top wines in the Lustral.”
Winemaker Kate Payne Brown shares her insight into what makes the 2022 vintage of Lustral Chardonnay truly exceptional: “To me, a barrel select wine is so much more than just picking a set number of barrels. Each barrel has its own personality, and I love spending time getting to know them individually. From there, it’s about imagining how these unique components can come together to create something extraordinary. Sometimes, using just a little of one barrel can transform the whole blend in a way that’s truly magical. Blending is one of my absolute favorite parts of winemaking—it’s where the artistry happens. Those moments when everything clicks, when after countless iterations, the final blend sings—it’s pure joy.
“Every barrel was tasted blind so that the wine itself could speak without any preconceived notions. Lustral is the more opulent of the two chardonnays, so I focused on barrels that would bring richness and depth—new oak and one-fill oak were perfect for adding texture and weight. We spent hours blending, tasting, and re-tasting, fine-tuning every detail until we found the perfect balance.
”2022 was a cooler year, and you can taste that freshness in the wine. There’s a beautiful tension, with lively acidity and a lovely mineral edge. For me, there’s also this delicate floral quality that’s so characteristic of cooler vintages. What really stands out to me is the wine’s tension and texture. There’s this amazing energy as it moves across the palate—layers of flavor unfolding, each with its own shape and nuance. It’s complex yet seamless, with a depth that keeps revealing more every time you taste it. That combination of precision and opulence makes the 2022 Lustral truly compelling.”
With heartfelt thanks,
Pam & Rob
