Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Hartford Court Russian River Valley Chardonnay offers subtle aromas of jasmine flower, citrus oil, green apple and pear. The elegant aromatics are complemented by fresh kiwi, lemon drop and green apple flavors. The fruit focused mid-palate is followed by subtle mineral notes and a hint of crystallized ginger in the finish.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
An amalgam of all their single vineyard wines, the 2020 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is fresh with green pear liquor, flint, and white flowers. The palate is snappy on the finish, with lemon pith, ripe green apple skin, and wet stone.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Chardonnay Russian River Valley was barrel fermented and matured 10 months in 28% new oak. It's composed of a blend of fruit from neighborhoods across the Russian River Valley: Middle Reach, Green Valley, Laguna Ridge, Santa Rosa Plain and Sebastopol Hills. It has a nose of white peaches and lime peel with touches of toast, dark spice and roasted almonds. The palate is lush and satiny, with hedonistic, spicy fruits and fresh acidity that makes this super easy to drink.
-
Wine Spectator
Precise and focused, featuring yellow apple, pear and lemon zest notes that are fresh and bright, with accents of lemon verbena and white tea on the 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.