Wine Details
White Wine, Vintage 2009
Appellation/Region
Russian River Valley - California, United States
Winemaker
Mark Lyon
VinTank Wine ID
840-0090-005852-01-2009-1-0002 (permalink, short)
Composition100% Chardonnay |
TreatmentsUnspecified Readings
Alcohol: 14.4% |
Organic/Biodynamic/Sustainability
Unspecified
SKUs/Formats
Bottle 750mL (750mL)
VinTank Product ID: 840-0090-005852-01-2009-1-0002-03-9
Suggested Retail Price: US $18.00
Accolades
Sonoma County Harvest Fair - Best of Class
Wine Notes
Description
No description is available for this wine.
Vintage Notes
The 2009 vintage produced a larger-than-normal harvest, comparable to 2005. Fortunately, Clone 15 “self regulated” its crop load, allowing the vines to achieve fully ripe flavors before the rains hit. The lot from Dijon Clone 96 also was ripe, but offered more acidity and minerality. The combination of the two clones produced a complex, balanced wine displaying the tropical flavor and structure we associate with the Russian River Valley appellation.
Vineyard Notes
Over the last two-plus decades, the Russian River Valley has earned a reputation as one of California’s premier AVAs for Chardonnay. The region’s cool coastal climate and low-nutrient soils accentuate the rich, nuanced flavors of the grape without sacrificing structure. Our long-standing contract with the famed Dutton Ranch provides us with some of the best Chardonnay grapes in the Russian River Valley. It was custom planted with lower-yielding Chardonnay clones to express the best quality possible.
Winemaker Notes
The grapes were hand-harvested and whole-cluster pressed in small lots. We utilized two different yeast strains to accentuate the intrinsic characteristics of each Chardonnay clone. The lots were fermented in stainless steel tanks at cold temperatures for 15 to 20 days to capture more aromatics and esters. We prevented the wine from going through malolactic fermentation to retain the natural zingy acidity. The light lees were stirred once a month to gain additional texture and yeast autolysis flavors. In May of 2010 we identified the best lots for a final blend featuring 70% Clone 15 and 30% Clone 96.
Tasting Notes
This is the essence of Russian River Chardonnay. The aromas are highlighted by apricots, nectarine and guava. The palate is of medium weight with concentrated peach and nectarine flavors. The finish is crisp and cleansing. This is the richest, fullest, most dramatic Unoaked Chardonnay we have made to date!
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