Lioco was founded in 2005 by Matt and Sara Licklider with the specific intention of making California Chardonnay in a style that deliberately rejected the high-alcohol, heavily oaked and low-acid paradigm that had dominated the region for a generation. Drawing inspiration from European traditions and the more restrained California wines of the 1980s, Lioco has built a small but fiercely respected portfolio of site-specific Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs that prioritise texture, freshness and mineral fidelity over sheer richness. The wines are produced at a cooperative facility in Santa Rosa.

Casa Seca Vineyard sits in the Russian River Valley adjacent to Kistler’s celebrated estate, farmed by the Dehlinger family using what Lioco describe as “old Wente clone” vines planted on the complex volcanic ash, river stone, loam and clay soils of this deeply favoured growing site. “Casa Seca” translates as “dry house” in Spanish, a name that speaks to the site’s well-drained soil conditions. The 2019 vintage was a concentrated, smaller-than-usual harvest in Russian River Valley, producing particularly intense and structured fruit from Lioco’s carefully farmed parcels.

Lioco’s winemaking involves neither new oak barrels nor manipulative additions of any kind: the wine is fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel or neutral oak, allowing Casa Seca’s mineral and terroir character to express itself without competition. The estate has earned regular placement on the lists of high-profile restaurants including The French Laundry and SingleThread, and is consistently cited by critics and sommeliers as one of California’s great value alternatives to premier white Burgundy. Wine & Spirits have named Lioco a Top 100 winery in multiple consecutive years.

Pale gold with a restrained but precise nose of green apple, lime zest, chamomile, crushed limestone and a faint salinity that speaks directly to its coastal Russian River soils. The palate is linear and uplifting, with sharp acidity linking stone fruit to a long, mineral and refreshing finish. A Chardonnay for those who prefer precision over warmth; drink now through 2028.