2021 Shibumi Knoll Chardonnay Corazon del Rio Vineyard Russian River Valley 750 ml

Nearly two decades ago, a small Napa Valley winery burst onto the scene by topping three absolute icons—Aubert, DuMOL, and Ridge—scoring Wine Spectator’s #1 wine in the category. 

The winery was Shibumi Knoll. The grape that rocketed them to the top was Chardonnay.

Next thing you know, somms from The French Laundry and hundreds of customers were tussling over a few dozen remaining cases. That set Shibumi Knoll on a near-vertical trajectory—but instead of maximizing growth as many wineries would have, they stayed small, making barely (or not even) 1,000 cases per year, total, for the mailing list a few select restaurants. 

Crafted by winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown—who has made more 100-point wines than he can count—the 2021 Shibumi Knoll Corazon del Rio Russian River Chardonnay shows exactly what put them with (and above) the Chardonnay elite. It earned a 95pt rave from Jeb Dunnuck—who called this a “brilliant” Chardonnay—and the same score from former Wine Advocate boss Lisa Perrotti-Brown. 

The boutique Shibumi Knoll winery was founded in 2003, when Don Ross bought the estate from Chuck and Anne McMinn, who own the phenomenal Vineyard 29. The piece of land was absolutely precious, as it’s one of the rare hills that exist on the Napa Valley floor.

Perched on a sun-kissed knoll where the valley's warm days meet the cooling influence of afternoon breezes, the winery is named “Shibumi” for a Japanese term that refers to effortless perfection and unobtrusive beauty. That concept is ever-present in their exquisite wines, and we’re thrilled to share this one with you.