Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The only other 2017 white I was able to taste, the 2017 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyards comes mostly from an old vine site farmed by Tom Dehlinger in the Russian River Valley. It displays a big, upfront nose of spiced orchard fruits, candle wax, hazelnut, and some crushed rock that gives way to a medium to full-bodied, rich, beautifully textured, layered, and long Chardonnay that has loads to love.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Hartford Court Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyard has a drop-dead gorgeous floral nose with notes of orange blossoms, honeysuckle and jasmine with a core of preserved lemons, candied ginger, peach cobbler and applesauce. Medium to full-bodied, it has a racy line of freshness and a wonderfully satiny texture, finishing long and citrusy.
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.