Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Russian River Chardonnay is pale gold in color, with an exotic nose of kiwi, lime, anise and linseed. Exceedingly intense and rich, the wine remains balanced thanks to the structure provided by the naturally high acidity. The palate displays an array of flavors, from juicy apple and sweet Meyer lemon to brioche and caramel. The finish leaves a lingering impression of pomegranate and lightly toasted oak.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from a single vineyard and brought up in 40% new oak, the 2017 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is another rock star wine from Dan Fishman. Loads of apple blossom, citrus, honeysuckle, and toasted bread notes ?ow to a medium to full-bodied, rich, concentrated, serious Chardonnay that’s going to bene?t from a year in bottle and drink well for 7-8 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is the first vintage of a new bottling for Donum, from old vines in Russian River grafted over to Chardonnay. The 2017 Chardonnay Estate Russian River Valley is delicately scented of crème fraîche, lemon confit, wet stone and acacia with a core of honey-drizzled golden apples. Light to medium-bodied, it's minerally and saline to begin, segueing out to warm citrus, with wicked juicy acidity to lift and a long, textured finish.
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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.