2016 Teeter-Totter Chardonnay

Benoit Touquette has arrived at an almost unimaginable pinnacle as a Napa winemaker, authoring eight 100-point wines for Realm in the last three vintages alone. Benoit learned by working alongside Andy Erickson—sharing responsibilities in the famed cellars of Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Arietta, and Ovid. The tiny-production Teeter Totter Chardonnay is his own project—a wine normally reserved for the lucky few on Touquette’s mailing list, or offered at double the price from some of Napa’s hottest restaurants. Bursting with gorgeous ripe fruit, silky texture, and complex spice notes, this is a must-buy for lovers of rich and refined California Chardonnay, and our tiny allocation is the last of the superb 2016 vintage. 

“When I set out to make my own wine, and eventually a Chardonnay, my goal was simple,” he told us. “I’m looking for something pure and elegant that can defy time and gravity.”

Benoit’s recent immersion in the world of white Burgundy—especially the wines of Leflaive and Pierre-Yves Morey-Colin—moved him to introduce a hint of coastal fruit to the 2016 Teeter-Totter, in order to reinforce some acidity and flintiness to the wine. The result is a beautifully balanced Chardonnay: one whose supple mouthfeel is perfectly complemented by fresh acidity. Chardonnay connoisseurs take note: the previous vintage was poured by-the-glass at St. Helena’s hugely popular steakhouse PRESS—a fact that shouldn’t be overlooked by lovers of top California Chardonnays. 

As Touquette’s star rises and demand follows, we are grateful that through our personal relationship we were able to secure a small allocation of the Teeter-Totter Chardonnay for the Store. Inspired by the greats and crafted by one of California’s rising masters, every bottle we secured is sure to go fast. Don’t miss out.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Sweetness
• Acidity

• ABV 14.10%
• Enjoy right away
• Drink Up
• % Chardonnay
• Serving temperature – 46°
• Cork