Moniker Mendocino Chardonnay 2013 Front Label
Moniker Mendocino Chardonnay 2013 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

The rich and bold, New World-style MonikerChardonnay was made primarily from grapes grownat La Ribera, our family's home vineyard along thebanks of the Russian River. After gently pressinga combination of whole-cluster and de-stemmedgrapes, we fermented and aged the wine four monthssur lie in American oak barrels. This added a sturdy,complex framework for our fruit's signature pear,apple and crisp mineral flavors. We then blended in alush, barrel-fermented Viognier sourced from nearbyHopland and another subtly spicy lot of Chardonnayaged in French oak for a wine that is equal partsnuanced and approachable.

Professional Ratings

  • 95
    A top-of-the-line white for an affordable price from the Thornhill family. Aged four months sur lie in American oak barrels, a silky, creamy white chocolate and egg custard sensation is apparent. It's a slurp-friendly Chard that speaks in a sophisticated mouthfeel. Lemongrass and egg white: a cocktail of flavors and textures, with all the bells and whistles for balance.
  • 91
    A beautiful and lightly spicy nutmeg character lights up this full-bodied wine from the first sniff to the lingering finish. The texture feels very rich, the pear-tart flavors are generous and the spiciness is intriguing. Hints of tannin and tartness firm up the mouthfeel nicely.
Moniker

Moniker

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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.

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Mendocino

California

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A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.

RRM68014_2013 Item# 147316