Ottavino is Italian for piccolo, which tells you most of what you need to know about Shalini Sekhar: she earned a master’s degree in flute and piccolo performance before concluding that wine was the better instrument. She trained in cool-climate cellars, including a stint at Williams Selyem, and launched her own label in 2020. Ferrington Vineyard sits just outside Boonville at the southern end of Anderson Valley, where the swing between blistering afternoons and cold nights is about as dramatic as anywhere in the region. Chardonnay planted there builds serious flavor without surrendering acidity, and Sekhar’s hand is deliberately light: minimal intervention, gentle handling, cooperage chosen to stay out of the way. The result is rich and full-bodied but never loses the tune. Precision over volume.