An obvious companion at table, we also love it on its own.
If you're willing to hold, this will make and outstanding cellar candidate.
Prime drinking: Late 2021 through 2029+
Graceful ageability: 2030+
Winemaking
Raised in a combination of French oak puncheon and barrel, they carefully paired the wood to the wine to support rather than obscure. What finally makes it to bottle presents both richness and a vibrant core.
Vineyard
Sangiacomo Green Acres was planted in 1969, and was the family’s first vineyard. Surrounded by two creeks, it enjoys an unparalleled microclimate of sunshine and cool breezes. Old Wente and Hyde Chardonnay clones yield teeny berries with highly concentrated flavors giving rise to a very special wine honoring a farming tradition of nearly 100 years.
Vintage
A near-perfect growing season kicked off 2019 with consistent winter rains followed by cool spring weather. Bud break arrived late with a smaller fruit set mostly due to significant rain during bloom in May for a slightly below average crop yield. A steady summer growing season with no heat spikes and little rain during harvest set the stage for ideal maturity and balance. This vintage we were able to achieve full phenolic flavor development along with ideal ripeness, making for an exceptional vintage. As always, harvested in the early morning hours during the coolest part of the day to preserve flavor and balance.
Analysis
Appellation: Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
Vineyard: Sangiacomo Green Acres
Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Clones: 96% Hyde | 4% Old Wente
Aging: 14 months, 10% New French Oak
pH: 3.44 TA: 6.5 g/L
Bottling: December 3, 2020
Release date: Spring 2021
Alcohol: 14.4%
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
96 Point Vintage
Entices with aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and cedar spice. Indicative of the cool vintage, the wine carries a freshness throughout. The palate offers a harmonious balance between bright red fruit, spice, and nicely woven tannins.
94 Points
Opulent dark fruited with blackberry and ironstone mineral character, blue fruit notes, and violets with crushed cocoa nibs nuances and a long dark chocolate and mineral-scented finish. Ultra delicious and quite lengthy.
98 Points
Deep purple hue and an alluring aromatic profile of fresh blue fruits and delicate violets. On the palate, it delivers a seamless and layered texture, framed by supple, polished tannins and a refined sense of balance. Elegantly structured, it offers remarkable purity and finesse, finishing with graceful length and poise.
95 Points
This stellar Napa Valley Red Blend marries lush plum and cherry with Malbec's dark berry depth and Petit Verdot's structure and spice. Layered with notes of blackberry, violet, and cocoa, this silky wine finishes with smooth tannins and a whisper of toasted oak. Robust and mouth-filling, with spicy nuances, smooth tannins, firm structure, and a long lingering finish.
94 Points
Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with vibrant notes of fresh black currants, kirsch, and mulberries... Full-bodied, the palate delivers a firm line of grainy tannins with bold freshness to frame the muscular black fruit, finishing long and cedary.
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
