🇺🇸 Stewart Cellars Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay 2022

This is California Chardonnay with a glow-up: mountain fruit, real texture, zero mall-chard energy. If you like your whites rich but not clingy, you just found your new situationship.

Wine Description 

Stewart Cellars’ 2022 Chardonnay comes from Sonoma Mountain, where elevation and exposure keep the wine bright even when it’s feeling plush. The result is a serious, confident bottle that hits that sweet spot between creamy and clean. 

Winemaker Blair Guthrie matters here because he’s not just “the guy in the cellar,” he’s also the vineyard manager for Stewart Cellars, which is a fancy way of saying he has a hand in the whole vibe from dirt to glass. That shows in the balance: richness with restraint, not an oak costume party. 

Vine-To-Table: Meet the Winemaker

Blair Guthrie is Stewart Cellars’ winemaker and vineyard manager, and he joined the team in 2015 after returning to California and working as assistant winemaker at Kunde Family Winery. He’s also part of the Stewart family story as the son-in-law, which makes this feel less corporate and more “family business with sharp elbows.” 

The Vibe

Think: golden-hour Sonoma, linen shirt unbuttoned one too many, and the confidence to order oysters and roast chicken in the same meal. It’s polished, mountain-fresh, and flirty in that “I have my life together” way.

What it tastes like 

Producer-facing notes for this bottling lean into peach skin, apricot, savory mineral tones, and a rich-but-focused finish with vibrant acidity. Translation: it’s juicy and textured, then it snaps back clean so you actually want a second glass. 

Pairing + When to drink it 

This is your move for roast chicken, buttery seafood, creamy pastas, or anything that deserves a white wine with backbone. Drink now for the bright fruit and energy, or hold a bit if you like Chardonnay when it gets more mellow and toasted.

Quick Specs 

• Producer: Stewart Cellars 

• Winemaker: Blair Guthrie 

• Region/Appellation: Sonoma County; Sonoma Valley AVA; Sonoma Mountain 

• Grapes: Chardonnay

• Vintage: 2022

• ABV: 14.2% 

• Bottle size: 750 ml 

Reviewed vintage (not 2022):

• Jenna Fields, Wine Enthusiast, 90 points, reviewed vintage: 2018, date: Dec 1, 2020
  Short take: described as creamy and full-bodied with ripe apple and baking-spice tones. 

FAQs 

Q: Why does “Sonoma Mountain” matter if the label also sits inside Sonoma Valley?
A: Sonoma Mountain is a distinct area within the broader Sonoma Valley AVA, and its slopes create a mix of sun and wind exposure that changes how grapes ripen. That’s part of why the region can handle multiple varieties, including Chardonnay.

Q: Is Sonoma Mountain a tiny AVA or just marketing poetry?
A: It’s genuinely small: one producer source describes Sonoma Mountain AVA as only about 667 vineyard acres. It’s also tied to volcanic geology, which is a big reason people nerd out about its site character. 

Q: Who is Blair Guthrie at Stewart Cellars, and why should I care?
A: He’s both winemaker and vineyard manager at Stewart Cellars, meaning he’s involved beyond blending and barrel choices. A published profile also notes he joined Stewart Cellars in 2015 after returning to California and working at Kunde Family Winery. 

Q: Is Stewart Cellars actually family-run or is that just label romance?
A: A recent feature frames it as a real family enterprise: Caroline Stewart Guthrie runs day-to-day operations, James Stewart leads sales and marketing, and Blair Guthrie handles winemaking and vineyard management. It reads more like a family machine than a corporate brand deck.

Q: What grapes grow on Sonoma Mountain besides the usual suspects?
A: The region is known for the fact that Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir can thrive near each other, thanks to varying exposures and micro-sites on the slopes. Chardonnay is also grown there, which helps explain why mountain-grown whites can still feel fresh.