Donum Russian River Chardonnay 2017
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Russian River Chardonnay is pale gold in color, with an exotic nose of kiwi, lime, anise and linseed. Exceedingly intense and rich, the wine remains balanced thanks to the structure provided by the naturally high acidity. The palate displays an array of flavors, from juicy apple and sweet Meyer lemon to brioche and caramel. The finish leaves a lingering impression of pomegranate and lightly toasted oak.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from a single vineyard and brought up in 40% new oak, the 2017 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is another rock star wine from Dan Fishman. Loads of apple blossom, citrus, honeysuckle, and toasted bread notes ?ow to a medium to full-bodied, rich, concentrated, serious Chardonnay that’s going to bene?t from a year in bottle and drink well for 7-8 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is the first vintage of a new bottling for Donum, from old vines in Russian River grafted over to Chardonnay. The 2017 Chardonnay Estate Russian River Valley is delicately scented of crème fraîche, lemon confit, wet stone and acacia with a core of honey-drizzled golden apples. Light to medium-bodied, it's minerally and saline to begin, segueing out to warm citrus, with wicked juicy acidity to lift and a long, textured finish.
Other Vintages
2018-
Robert
Parker
Donum is a leader in single-vineyard, single-appellation Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Northern California. Donum's terroir-driven wines reflect the energy and complexity of some of the most celebrated regions in Northern California, including Carneros, Russian River Valley, and Anderson Valley.
Donum's winemaking philosophy has never wavered: to make the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in California while also preserving natural resources. Donum is Latin for Gift, and the Donum team considers wine to be a gift of the land. Donum respects this gift by keeping its focus on healthy, living soils. Donum achieved the highest level of organic certification as one of the first wineries in Sonoma County to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) status for all its Estate vineyards. Donum's farming and winemaking team are constantly innovating and testing new techniques and farming practices including soil enrichment, integrated pest management, and encouraging biodiversity around the vineyards. Donum is also certified organic from the California Certified Organic Farming Association (CCOF).
Founded in 2001, the Donum Estate is located in the acclaimed wine region of Carneros, nestled between Napa and Sonoma Counties. The Estate includes a winemaking facility, a contemporary hospitality experience, an organic farm and one of the largest accessible private sculpture collections in the world – The Donum Collection. With more than 50 monumental works of art – of which over a third are site-specific – the evolving Collection brings together a global community of artists and leading practitioners from 18 nations across 6 continents, including Ai Weiwei, Ghada Amer, Doug Aitken, Lynda Benglis, Louise Bourgeois, Keith Haring and Subodh Gupta.
At the intersection of fine wine, sustainable farming and world-class art, Donum connects a global community and creates holistic, sensory wine experiences that have made it an international destination. For more information and to inquire about a private tasting experience reservation, please visit www.thedonumestate.com. Follow @DonumEstate on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation using #TheDonumEstate.
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.