Last week, I made my first trip to Stony Hill, a winery in St. Helena that I've admired for a long time.



I got to meet Peter McRea, the owner, who has continued making excellent Chardonnay from the Napa Valley in the exact same style his parents did--which is to say, balanced, completely devoid of new oak and extremely age-worthy.



The wines are living proof that the Burgundian style of Chardonnay can be made in California. And this at a time when everyone claims that, to even come close, you have to be in the relative cool of the Sonoma Coast or Santa Rita Hills, far west of the burning Napa sun. That's why I love Stony Hill, a wine that proves the wisdom of tradition. By the way, the Gewürztraminer and Riesling are good too. You can buy the wines at K&L.