Goose Ridge Chardonnay 2009
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Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
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Wine Spectator
Smooth and creamy, with a lively balance to the pear and tobacco flavors, finishing on a spicy note. Drink now. 1,370 cases made.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Estate Chardonnay was 50% barrel-fermented and 50% in stainless steel with the latter portion put subsequently into barrel. The wine was not put through malolactic fermentation. It offers up a pleasant nose of buttered popcorn, poached pear, and melon. Round and viscous on the palate, this nicely balanced wine should drink nicely for several more years. Both of these white wines are excellent values.
Other Vintages
2008-
Enthusiast
Wine
Acclaimed winemaker Charlie Hoppes has his pick of the vineyard. Fermenting and aging wines in small lots from a handful of blocks carefully selected for their exceptional character and complexity is exactly what the Monsons had in mind for Goose Ridge when they founded the winery in 1999. The family has farmed in the Columbia Valley for four decades and is known for their commitment to quality. Goose Ridge Vineyard is built on that tradition.
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 large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.