Sphaerics 'On Days and Nights' Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, USA 2024

Sphaerics is a small production California winery founded in 2022 by winemaking duo Brian Ball and Laura Jones (Aubert/Rousseau), focused on limited-release Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from top cool climate vineyard sites in Napa and Sonoma. The project emphasizes a Burgundian inspired approach, using careful vineyard sourcing, native fermentations, and long elevage to highlight purity, texture, and site expression rather than overt richness. Production is extremely limited, with each wine released in only a few hundred cases. Overline and On Days and Nights have quickly gained attention for their balance of California fruit intensity with fine structure, acidity, and mineral drive.

“On Days and Nights” Chardonnay 2024, Russian River Valley is a small-production, luxury Chardonnay that captures the balance of ripe Russian River fruit and cool-climate precision. The wine opens with layered aromas of pear, lemon curd, green apple, and citrus blossom, complemented by subtle notes of toasted almond, brioche, and crushed stone minerality. On the palate it is textural and polished, with a silky mid-palate supported by bright acidity that gives the wine lift and definition. Careful oak integration adds depth and structure without masking its vineyard expression, leading to a long, clean, and mineral-tinged finish.

"The 2024 Chardonnay On Days And Nights is a notable step up from the debut 2023. Russian River intensity comes across in a measured, perfectly calibrated framework that speaks to precise, finessed winemaking but also has a sense of soulfulness. Golden apple, sweet cream, pastry and sea salt layer atop one another in the glass. There's real cohesion here. I suspect this will be lights-out from bottle." Vinous 95-97