Freeman Winery

Hawk Hill Chardonnay

When we first visited Hawk Hill in the early 2000s, we admired the vineyard’s proximity to Freestone and the cool influence of the nearby coast. The rolling hills where the vineyard lies are blanketed by morning fog and cooling afternoon winds, which allow the grapes to benefit from some of the longest hang times in California. Aside from the challenges of higher humidity due to the fog, the site is ideal for growing perfectly balanced Chardonnay.

Hawk Hill’s owners Margaret and Bill Yarak do a brilliant job of farming the vineyard with the help of Arturo Robledo and Greg Adams. When the opportunity arose for Freeman to work with Hawk Hill Chardonnay, we jumped at the chance.

Hawk Hill Chardonnay is almost always the last of our fruit to be harvested each year, and 2022 was no exception. Although this was the fourth consecutive year of below-average rainfall in the region, there was just enough winter precipitation to sustain the Hawk Hill vines through the long growing season. A cool spring transitioned to a typical summer of fog and sun, followed by a month of heat waves in September. The warm weather helped ripen the Hawk Hill fruit, but Akiko felt that it needed more hang time before picking. It was worth the wait.

The 2022 Freeman Hawk Hill Chardonnay—our fifth vintage from this vineyard—is brilliantly clear with a light straw color. The wine displays expressive aromas of fragrant baking spices, cinnamon, cloves, wildflower honey and candied Granny Smith apples. These scents come through on the palate, framed by the wonderful Hawk Hill acidity. This full-bodied Chardonnay should have many years of life ahead of it. Try it in 2024 and continue enjoying the wine through 2030.