Status Quo, Chardonnay, 2024

Don't let the name fool you for a single second. STATUS QUO was built as a direct act of rebellion — against big wine, against additives, against the shortcuts and sugar-padding that the industry has quietly normalised for decades. Low sugar, additive-free, no fining agents, no funny business. Just pure fruit, pure craft, and 93 POINTS to show what happens when someone refuses to play by the rules. We got the call, cleared the diary, and took every last bottle. ​ Behind this revolution is Adam Lee, the Texan son of teetotallers who studied prison history at university, wandered into a wine shop, and somehow became one of California's most celebrated winemakers. He built Siduri from 107 cases to 35,000, sold it to the Jackson family, and then — unable to sit still — came back swinging with Status Quo. ​ The mission is simple and the execution is extraordinary: Russian River Valley fruit of stunning purity, full malolactic fermentation, patient lees ageing, and gentle French oak that builds the kind of creamy, layered texture that makes you question every Chardonnay you've ever drunk before this one. ​ In the glass it's all whipped butter, poached pear, vanilla custard, and toasted brioche, with a luscious crème fraîche weight that coats every corner of the palate and a finish that just…keeps…going. This is the status quo getting absolutely dismantled, one glorious sip at a time. Are you in or not?