2016 Chardonnay The High Wire

Standing conspicuously tall above the surrounding stubby little French-style vines in the domain of the Currents, the High Wire Chardonnay is a magnificent anachronism. Planted in 1977 to the pre-Prohibition “Wente clone,” on a 1970’s trellis (the California Sprawl), the High Wire was long disparaged as the ugly duckling of the vineyard. It stubbornly resisted all attempts to graft it over or re-train it into submission, and the ugly duckling ultimately grew into the regal long-necked swan that it was meant to be. 96 Points The Wine Advocate, Read more about the Beyond the Blocks series of wines here.