LIOCO Chardonnay

LIOCO Chardonnay 2023
This coastal California Chardonnay is bright, savory, and beautifully precise, opening with lemon blossom, orchard fruit, and crushed stone, then unfolding into mineral notes, pomelo, and white tea on the palate. It feels fresh and polished all the way through, with lively acidity and a clean, mouthwatering finish.

Key Details:

Producer: LIOCO — a California winery founded by Matt Licklider and Sara Morris, known for minimalist, site-driven wines from cool-climate vineyards. The winery focuses on transparency of place and a restrained, food-friendly style, especially with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 

Region / Appellation: Sonoma County, California, USA. 

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay. 

Vintage: 2024 

Style / ABV: Dry white wine; 12.5% ABV. The fruit was hand-harvested in early October, destemmed, foot-tread, then fermented mostly in stainless steel with a portion in neutral oak puncheons, followed by six months of aging without bâtonnage.

Why It’s Special: This wine captures LIOCO’s signature style of Chardonnay: bright, mineral, and driven by freshness rather than heaviness. The 2023 release is especially distinctive because LIOCO notes it was vinified entirely or predominantly in tank for exceptional tension and clarity, giving the wine a vivid, coastal energy and a very pure expression of Sonoma fruit. 

Food Pairing: Excellent with fresh oysters, shrimp scampi, fish and chips, roast chicken, or lighter seafood dishes. Its citrusy lift, mineral backbone, and crisp finish make it a natural match for anything bright, briny, or delicately rich.