Winemaker Notes
This Russian River Valley Chardonnay was hand-harvested from select blocks in our Russian River Valley estate vineyards. Grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed with press cuts taken by taste to maximize the flavor of each block or clone. The grapes were then cold settled and racked directly to barrel where it fermented at cool temperatures with specially selected yeasts. The wine underwent 100% malolactic fermentation and sur lie aging with weekly stirring to give it a rich, creamy mouthfeel.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A dense, layered white with sliced cooked apples, honey and hints of cream. Some toasted coconut. Full body. Flavorful. Pretty fruit.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is 100% barrel fermented and aged for 15 months in French oak barrels, 80% new. It opens with compelling notions of ripe honeydew melon, warm peaches and pear tart with hints of almond croissant and beeswax. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a beautiful satiny texture with bags of stone fruit flavors and a refreshing backbone, finishing long and spicy.
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Wine Spectator
Powerful, with concentrated apple pastry, dried peach and glazed apricot flavors that are intensely spiced. The finish is rich, showing buttery and toasty notes, accented by hints of dried tropical fruits.
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Wine Enthusiast
A classically rich, substantial white from the appellation, this is robust in flavors of Gravenstein apple, caramel, toffee and oak. Full bodied, fleshy and weighty on the palate, it finishes in a lasting taste of lemon meringue.
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.