Perched in the remote Gavilan Mountain range, 1,800 feet above California’s Salinas Valley, this rugged vineyard sits at the base of an extinct volcano bordering the Pinnacles National Park. Chalone Vineyard is one of the few wineries in the U.S. growing grapes in limestone-based soils, the same as in Burgundy. The spare, well-drained ground, limited rainfall, and low crop levels attracted Dick Graff, who wanted to make top-flight Burgundian-styled Chardonnay. Graff made his first vintage under the Chalone Vineyard label in 1966, producing what became a benchmark for California Chardonnay. Current winemaker, Greg Freeman’s expansive background combines long-standing interests in art and science with twenty years of Monterey County winemaking. Freeman’s official wine career began in the lab at Hahn Winery in 2003. Greg quickly progressed to Winemaker and was involved with multiple brands, working closely with Nicholas Hahn and Paul Clifton, Director of Winemaking at Hahn. Since 2017, Greg has held positions as Winemaker for Georis/Cowgirl Winery in Carmel Valley, California and Messina Hof Winery in Bryan, Texas. He joined Chalone Vineyard in2021, bringing two decades of Monterey winemaking to bear as he writes the latest chapter in the winery’s storied history.