Winemaker Notes
Aromas of apple and pear jump from the glass followed by undertones of lime, nut spices, and musk melon. With additional aeration, white flowers and quince emerge in this classic and exciting Heintz Chardonnay offering. The palate showcases pear and apple flavors along with a minerality and dustiness, which comes from the Goldridge soil in which the vines grow. Rolled up in the fruit is a streak of citrus peel which highlights a tannic tension that completes the wine. Enjoy with roast chicken or sea bass and matsutake mushrooms.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard opens with incredibly pure, alluring floral perfume, which floats like lace over a core of fresh pear and quince fruit. The palate is light-bodied, silky and mineral-driven with energetic acidity and a long, tensile finish. Rating: 93+
-
Wine Enthusiast
Anise, fennel and honey open the way to a creamy, lush and earthy midpalate. Interwoven layers of Gravenstein apple, pear and nutmeg round out the flavor profile, with sleek acidity persistent beneath.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Williams Selyem Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay is steady and persistent. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits excellent aromas and flavors of bright apples and a hint of oak. Enjoy its enticing flavors with an oven-roasted chicken over a bed of arugula and baby spinach.(Tasted: March 3, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
Nicely ripened and solidly fruity with a good fix on fresh apple fruit and enriched by a judicious dollop of sweet oak, this medium-full-bodied, well-structured offering conveys a fine sense of concentration and depth even if still on the youthfully tight side. It has the right pieces in place to reward a few years of additional age, and we would opt to set it aside while enjoying its cellar mate from the Olivet Lane vineyard in the shorter term.
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.