Pass Wines Redwood Road Chardonnay Mount Veeder 2021

Many young winemakers dream of fostering their own brand, though the traditional path of purchasing a vineyard has become increasingly unattainable due to inflated land prices and a general oversaturation of the Napa Valley. Still, the determined always find a way, as is the case for winemaker Ryan Pass and his family brand, Pass Wines.

Though still relatively young in his career, Ryan has worked the last ten harvests at Farella Vineyard in Coombsville, one of the original family-owned estates in the AVA and the first estate to grow, and consequently champion, Cabernet Sauvignon in Coombsville. His mentor, Tom Farella, instilled in Ryan that winemaking can and should be more of an art, inspired by well-trained instincts and a watchful eye on the weather (they are both self-proclaimed weather nerds). This philosophical training allowed Ryan to develop his winemaking skills beyond the ABCs of cellar and lab work. Instead, he’s grown to understand winemaking more holistically, giving him the confidence to launch his brand.

The newest wine on the scene for Pass is the Redwood Road Mount Veeder Chardonnay. Ryan produced a scant 48 cases of this debut wine from enough grapes to fill just one macro bin after harvest. The vineyard source, Yates Family Vineyard, is another family-run operation that has stewarded their plot since 1949, passing down farming traditions through three generations.   Before the Yates, the land was home to Castle Rock Vineyard in the 1800s, and there is a certain reverence when standing amongst the Redwoods surrounding the vines. The Yates family credits the combination of varying sun exposures, volcanic soils, and the 1,200 feet of elevation with creating a near-perfect setting for grape growing and, therefore, their exceptional quality fruit. Game recognizes game, as they say, and Ryan could not pass up the opportunity to work with the sustainably farmed, impeccable Chardonnay.

When it comes to winemaking, Ryan is agile and adaptive. While he boasts an arsenal of technique and experience, less is most often more, and in his words, “the yeast does the heavy lifting.” He takes his lead from the grapes and intervenes when necessary to express the fruit and terroir more fully. For the 2021 Redwood Road Chardonnay, he pressed the grapes as whole clusters and allowed the juice to rest overnight before racking to a neutral French oak barrel. Initial and malolactic fermentation occurred in barrel with native yeast, and the wine remained sur lies for the remainder of aging. Wafting aromas of Granny Smith apples, chalky minerality, and underripe nectarine fill the nose—vibrant acidity dances along the textured palate, highlighting white peach jam and lemon zest flavors. Get in on the ground floor of this debut wine quickly, as the two barrels made won’t last long!