Fruit from the Heintz Ranch and Dutton Ranch vineyards make up the blend for the 2022 Ryo-fu Chardonnay. Heintz lies just southeast of the town of Occidental, on the western edge of the Russian River Valley AVA. The Dutton Ranch Shop Block, located on Graton Road in the heart of Green Valley, is a new vineyard for Freeman. Warren Dutton planted it in 1967, which makes it—by far—the oldest Chardonnay vineyard they have worked with. The 2022 Freeman Ryo-fu Chardonnay has a pale, straw color and appears youthful in the glass. The complex aroma combines stone fruits, fresh hay, apples and lemon custard. On the palate, the wine displays a balancing act of high, refreshing acidity with a mouthful of wonderfully ripe Chardonnay fruit. A flavorful and refreshing finish predicts a long evolution for the ’22 Ryo-fu, which will drink well from 2024 through 2030.