Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Aged for 11 months in 35% new French oak and predominantly from the Laguna Ridge neighborhood of the Russian River Valley, the 2020 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyards is lifted, with flinty reduction and a touch darker mineral tone. The palate has richness, savor, and more structure along with a note of pithy citrus and more concentration and tension. Drink 2024-2034.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyard comes mostly from 45-year-old Wente vines in the Laguna Ridge neighborhood of the Russian River Valley. It was barrel fermented and matured for 11 months in 35% new French oak. It has a beautiful perfume of jasmine, white peaches, ginger and roasted almonds, plus touches of lemon cream and baking spice in the undercurrent. The medium-bodied palate surprises with its combination of intense fruits and focused, tangy acidity. It has a satiny texture, streaks of flinty character and a very long, layered finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Opening in a strong perfume of oak, this robust, concentrated white offers woody spice, lively acidity and rich layers of Gravenstein apple, tangerine and ginger. A lush finish accentuates its bold, memorable personality.
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.