Freeman Winery

Hawk Hill Chardonnay

This is Freeman’s seventh vintage of 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 has traditionally been used for sparkling wines, specifically by Schramsberg. Sparkling wine grapes are usually harvested at a much lower sugar level and higher acidity than still wine grapes, and they are typically picked three to five weeks earlier than grapes for still wines. At Hawk Hill, the additional ripening time is often extended to six or seven weeks.

The Hawk Hill Chardonnay is almost always Freeman’s last fruit of the vintage to be harvested, and that was the case in 2024. Fall was much warmer in 2024 compared to the previous year, yet we waited until October to bring in the Hawk Hill fruit,  just after picking the Heinz Ranch Chardonnay from Occidental. Although 2024 was an earlier vintage than 2023, the Hawk Hill fruit was beautifully balanced.

In the glass, the 2024 Hawk Hill Chardonnay has a clear, pale and youthful appearance. The wine has subtle, fruity notes on the nose of fresh apricots and kiwi, and background aromas of wet stones, hay, lemongrass and cloves. The palate is all about the wonderful acidity that comes from Hawk Hill, which is very inviting and food friendly. The 2024 vintage should develop nicely over the next several years, with the ideal drinking window between 2026 and 2031.