Alma de Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County 2019

Bibiana González Rave is one of our absolute favorite female winemakers out there! Bibiana grew up in Colombia where exposure to wine was limited, yet the few sips she was given from her father’s glass was enough to possess her. She moved to France in order to pursue an education in wine, and worked in world-class cellars including Bordeaux’s Château Haut-Brion and Burgundy’s Domaine Du Devevey. Her training in France was a crash course in the classics, but Bibiana ultimately made her home in Sonoma County where she found freedom to work with renowned varietals without having to oblige by strict French traditions. It didn’t take long for Bibiana to make a name for herself within the California winemaking community by way of projects like Wayfarer and Cattleya. A specialist in Burgundian varietals, she already boasts over 15 years of winemaking experience, even though she was recently named as one of the 40 Under 40 Tastemakers by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, as well as the Winemaker of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle in December 2015. Her newest brand, Alma de Cattleya, showcasing her supreme talents in a "weeknight price point" kind of wine. This Chardonnay is flinty-bright and clean, ideal for folks who don't care for an oaky, buttery wine, but instead prefer mineral driven whites. We were totally stunned and charmed by this wine, especially for the enviable $25 price tag. It is a total winner.