Winemaker Notes
Ritchie Vineyard has been called a "California Grand Cru Chardonnay Vineyard" by Wine Enthusiast. These are some of the oldest Chardonnay plantings in California. These old, gnarly trunked vines produce small clusters with distinct "hen and chick" berry sizes. We’ve worked with the same block of Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay since 2002. The floral character of the small portion of Musqué lends an aromatic lift while the Old Wente provides structure and acidity.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is youthfully energetic and coiled, taking some time to offer aromas of apricot, orange peel, beeswax, crème brûlée and flint. The medium-bodied palate is silky and seamless, balancing salty freshness with an intense core of fruit, finishing with tremendous persistence and nuance.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
As with the other Chardonnays in the lineup, the 2019 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard was aged for 20 months in 20% new French oak. The nose has a more spiced character, with baking spice, orange blossom, and fresh dough. The palate is similarly spiced and concentrated with ripe pear and tension through the finish.
-
Wine Spectator
As with the other Chardonnays in the lineup, the 2019 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard was aged for 20 months in 20% new French oak. The nose has a more spiced character, with baking spice, orange blossom, and fresh dough. The palate is similarly spiced and concentrated with ripe pear and tension through 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.