Deep, Deep Discounts on Old Vine Chalone Pinot and Chardonnay from Overshine

Overshine is a relatively new project from respected winemaker Sam Bilbro, focused on crafting single-vineyard wines from highly distinctive sites and highlighting some of California’s most compelling terroirs. When I think of truly unique vineyard sites in California, very few even come close to the distinctiveness of Chalone. It is a perfect place, then, for Sam to source fruit from the incredibly historic Chalone Vineyard.

First established in 1919, this remote, rugged, mountaintop vineyard is truly awe-inspiring. The location is breathtaking. The immediate backdrop to the vineyard is Pinnacles National Park, with huge, towering pillars of stone reaching into the sky. You could be forgiven for thinking you were in the canyonlands of Arizona or Utah, given the sheer drama of the landscape. Looking south from the vineyard, perched high in the Gabilan Mountains, you can see Monterey Bay and the Big Sur ranges in the distance. Two thousand feet below, the Salinas Valley is often cloaked in fog. Under your feet, the soil is hard and rocky, a mix of limestone and decomposed granite. The limestone here is a crucial part of the wine's complex minerality. The climate here is almost high-desert-like: very dry, with huge diurnal shifts in temperature between day and night.

The early pioneers of this vineyard were so convinced of its potential for greatness that they established vines here without direct access to water and with no connection to the electricity grid. A remote, isolated place to grow grapes, only worth the struggle because the place was so special. The wines that come from this place speak so clearly of their origin. In my opinion, they are among the most transparent and terroir-driven wines in the world.

Today, we have an incredible offer on two Overshine wines, both sourced from Chalone Vineyard and both wonderfully indicative of this magical place. What’s more, the pricing we’re offering is deeply discounted, moving these wines firmly into the too-good-to-miss realm. Honestly, the pricing does not do them justice, but we got an amazing deal to clear out the last of the vintage, and I just can’t pass up deals this good!

— Ryan Woodhouse, K&L Domestic Wine Buyer