Pence Rosa Chardonnay 2014
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Proprietor Blair Pence and winemaker Sashi Moorman opened this 2014 Chardonnay Rosa to offer insight into how the Pence wines age. It has mature aromas of honeyed fruit, mushroom powder, gunflint and parmesan rind. The palate offers a deep core of complex, savory flavors and a pleasing, gently grippy texture, although its tangy acidity is starting to dominate.
For most of my adult life, I have been obsessed with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. For many years, I travelled to France, and more specifically to Burgundy, trying to understand the making of what I believe to be the world’s greatest wines. Over time, I became friends with the vignerons there, learned of their respect for terroir, and their dedication to its primacy. I had the opportunity to drink the wines over and over again, from the barrel and the bottle, and observe how they were farmed and vinified.
BRINGING BURGUNDY TO SANTA BARBARA
Though I fell in love with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as expressed in Burgundy, I have no expectation, nor would I wish to, to produce a Burgundian wine. We are in the United States, after all, and one should hope that the vines grown in these soils are different from those grown in Burgundy. I believe, though, that given a few more decades, or perhaps centuries, we can achieve the same kind of brilliance in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay here in the United States as has been achieved in Burgundy.
UNWAVERING STANDARDS FOR WINEMAKING AND FARMING
Towards this end, my team and I have established the highest aspirations for our vineyard and our wine program. It is a purposeful endeavor, in that everything was done very deliberately and without regard to cost to achieve the highest level of quality in our wines. Our philosophy is a non-interventionist, site-driven one. If our wines express typicity, it has much more to do with our terroir and viticulture than with anything we have done in the cellar.
We strive for honesty and elegance in our wines, reflecting the beautiful landscape where our grapes are grown, the richness of the clay soils feeding their roots, and the abundant sunshine that provides life’s energy. The colors, aromas, and flavors in each bottle are the pure manifestation of our vineyard and our efforts to support it.
It is my sincere wish, and that of our team, that our wines transport you to another place; that they are representative not only of their varieties and the terroir of our site, but also of the profound mystery Mother Nature has to offer.
California’s most praised white wine, Chardonnay is also the state’s most planted white grape variety. Diverse terrain and microclimates allow for an incredible range of wine styles.
Chardonnay planted in the cooler, coastal zones takes on bright characteristics like lemon zest, key lime, green apple and wet flint. For this style, look to the chilly Sonoma Coast, Carneros, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands and Edna Valley.
The inland zones of California’s coast, such as the Russian River, Sonoma, Napa and Livermore Valleys maintain a more Goldilocks-esque climate where both styles go. Early picking retains acidity and creates a leaner style but leaving the grapes to hang creates an approachable Chardonnay, balancing richness and finesse.
Chardonnay also plays a major part in the sparkling wine production of the Anderson Valley and Carneros.