Search: Chardonnay

Hand-selected from premium vineyards in Russian River Valley, the 2005 Calcaire exemplifies the crisp, fresh fruit flavors that make cool climate Chardonnay so appealing. Brilliant, silver-straw yellow in color, this Chardonnay exhibits generous citrus-laced aromas of apple blossom and pear, with a hint of spicy roasted oak that develops in the glass. The wine’s firm structure and rich, creamy palate delivers flavors of ripe pear and apple with a splash of refreshing lemon and lime. Although ready to drink now, the vibrant acidity of this wine will reward additional cellar aging.

Sleepy Hollow Vineyard® consistently produces Chardonnay fruit with intense tropical fruit character and minerality, exhibiting both richness and finesse. To further enhance quality, winemaker and vineyard manager Sam Balderas keeps yields low to increase concentration, and minimizes the handling of the wine to preserve the fruit’s natural essence. Selected from distinctive blocks of the acclaimed Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, the fruit for this wine is 100 percent barrel fermented in French oak and aged a minimum of 12 months on the lees to achieve a rich, toasty, complex character.

The firm of Marcel Vincent & Fils, producer of Chateau Fuisse, was
founded in 1864. Current winemaker Jean-Jacques Vincent, great-grandson of the founder, is as alert to modern innovations as he is loyal to proven traditional methods. This Pouilly-Fuisse is grown in several parcels belonging to the two sisters of Jean Jacques Vincent and the wine is named after his mother, Marie-Antoinette Vincent. The stony soils of the Vergisson vineyards give the wine refreshing acidity, elegance and a mineral undertone, while the clay soils in the Fuisse vineyards lend full-bodied

Behler Vineyard, their estate vineyard in the heart of Sonoma Valley, provides the majority of grapes for this rich, flavorful Chardonnay. Hand picked fruit at its peak is fermented in French oak barrels. The finished wine has a bouquet of tropical and exotic fruits fragrant with new oak and vanilla. On the palate, the fruit flavors are fully concentrated, and the texture is rich and buttery, supported by balanced acidity and concentrated mouthfeel.

The nose shows bright tropical fruit notes along with honeydew melon, jasmine, and citrus. On the palate, bright fruit flavors of pineapple, ripe melon, kiwi, and guava are framed by vibrant acid and richness in the mid-palate. The finish displays sweet-tart citrus notes of lemon, tangerine, and ripe nectarine. A clean, focused acid presence is also evident throughout the finish.

This wine offers aromas of apple, mango, fig and guava. The medium to full-bodied palate maintains impressive balance and flavor concentration, so it will hold its own with rich foods. The flavors of tropical and ripe stone fruits complement its acidity, and the finish is rich and long.