Scribe Estate Chardonnay 2012
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Scribe Winery in Sonoma, California, produces vibrant, terroir-driven wines. The winery – founded in 2007 on a property that pioneered pre-prohibition Sonoma Valley winemaking – is managed by fourth-generation California farmers and brothers, Andrew and Adam Mariani.
Andrew and Adam believe that the best wines are a result of a healthy relationship between man and nature, and that a vineyard managed in harmony with the greater ecosystem results in more site-specific wines that represent a sense of time and place. When vinified with non-interventionist methods, the result is a distinct wine that faithfully reflects what the vineyard naturally expresses.
The vineyard they purchased is a storied pre-Prohibition site (that had reverted to a derelict turkey farm) nestled amongst some age-old California names like Buena Vista and Gundlach-Bundschu, on the Sonoma-side of Carneros.
Andrew and Adam immediately planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, understanding the natural affinity for those grapes to the area, but they embraced varieties historically connected to the original German-born, Champagne-producing vignerons that had planted St. Laurent, Riesling, and Sylvaner in the 1850’s.
Scribe manages to be new school without forsaking the old, and they don’t just farm their vineyards organically but embrace a philosophy they call “Forever Wild Farming” that considers how the vineyard and the winery (and its kitchen gardens) can coexist with, and within, the ecosystem as a whole.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.