Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Chardonnay Rachel’s Vineyard is totally weightless in the glass. A gorgeous, striking wine, the Rachel’s is all about subtle grace and finesse. Crushed rocks, graphite, white flowers and yellow stone fruits add complexity on the finish. Here it is the pedigree of the Mt. Eden clone that speaks loudly. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2019.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is the most expensive of Rochioli's new Chardonnays. It also tastes the oakiest, although the amount of new oak is only 30%. On the plus side is crisp acidity, fine minerality and a solid core of green apples, Meyer lemons and pears. The wine may be going through a rough patch. If you have a cellar, try giving it 4–6 years.
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.