Ted Glennon spent years pouring other people's wine. As a sommelier at Michelin-starred restaurants like Quince and the legendary Post Ranch Inn, he tasted everything—from $20 Muscadet to $2,000 Montrachet. But it was a 2012 harvest in Barbaresco that changed everything. Standing in those Nebbiolo vineyards, he realized he didn't want to pour wine anymore. He needed to make it.

No UC Davis degree. No family winery to inherit. Just a sommelier's palate and a vision for what California Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon could be with a European approach. Ted's sixth-generation California roots run deep—his Basque ancestors arrived in the mid-1800s—but his winemaking philosophy looks east, to Meursault and Chassagne.

This wine comes from the Escolle Vineyard, a 124-acre tract in Santa Lucia Highlands that Honoré Escolle purchased in 1878. Now farmed by the Caraccioli, Nunes, and Hibino families, it supplies fruit to a who's who of California producers. But Ted zeroed in on their Old Wente clone plantings—the same genetic material that made California Chardonnay famous in the 1970s, before everyone rushed to plant Dijon clones.

Ted picks for acid and structure. Twenty-five percent new French oak, and native fermentation. Extended lees contact for that Meursault-like texture without the fat. The 2021 earned 96 points from Decanter, who called it “a true model for California producers.”

Even the label tells a story. Commissioned from UCSB arts professor Eric Beltz, it depicts an old-school California town—a reminder that Ted's making "Classic California wines, not modern" ones. Lasai itself means “a place of calm” in Basque, honoring those shepherd ancestors who came seeking their fortune. Ted found his.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

The Sommelier's Advantage: Ted tasted thousands of wines at Quince and Post Ranch Inn before making his own. He knows what greatness tastes like, and more importantly, how to achieve it. This is Chardonnay made by someone who's had the very best.

Old Wente Magic: While everyone plants Dijon clones, Ted elbowed out other producers for Escolle’s block of Old Wente—the heritage material that put California Chardonnay on the map. It delivers power, acidity, and concentration that new clones can't match.

“Meursault Turned to 11”: Decanter's description of a previous vintage says it all. This has the opulence of great Burgundy but with Santa Lucia's signature—brighter acid, more energy, that California sunshine captured in perfect balance.

HOW TO SERVE IT

• Serve at 48-52°F—cold enough to preserve the freshness but not so cold you miss the complexity.
  

• Drink now through 2031. The Old Wente clone's natural concentration and that bright Santa Lucia acidity mean this will develop beautifully over the next decade.
  

• Perfect with roasted chicken, lobster, or anything with brown butter. The wine's reductive notes and grippy posture also make it brilliant with a plate of kumamotos.