County Line Chardonnay 2023

Radio Coteau County Line Chardonnay 2023 is Eric Sussman’s more accessible, site blended chardonnay within the broader Radio Coteau family, a project built in Sonoma County around organically farmed vineyards and a philosophy of restraint, balance, and low intervention winemaking. Sussman founded Radio Coteau in the early 2000s after time in Burgundy, and that influence still shows up in the wines focus on texture, tension, and clarity rather than overt oak or ripeness.

County Line sits slightly apart from the estate and single vineyard bottlings, sourced from cool climate sites across the North Coast, including Anderson Valley fruit in this vintage. The intent is to capture a broader coastal expression of chardonnay, emphasizing freshness and vineyard transparency over any single appellation fingerprint. Farming is organic where possible, and fruit is selected for natural acidity and moderate ripeness, which keeps the wine in a more linear, lifted register.

In the cellar, the 2023 is made with whole cluster pressing followed by native yeast fermentation. It is typically raised in a mix of neutral French oak, concrete egg, and stainless steel, which allows texture to build without pushing the wine toward overt oak sweetness. Malolactic fermentation is allowed to proceed, softening the edges while still preserving enough acidity to keep the wine focused. The wine is bottled without heavy fining or filtration, consistent with the broader Radio Coteau approach.

The 2023 shows lemon zest, green apple, pear skin, and white peach, layered with almond, wet stone, and a subtle floral lift. There is a gentle creaminess in the mid palate, but it stays anchored by bright coastal acidity and a saline, slightly chalky finish. It lands in that classic Radio Coteau lane of being both supple and precise, a chardonnay that feels quietly structured rather than overtly styled.