95 Points - James Suckling, October 2020
VINEYARDS
Located in the heart of Green Valley, this vineyard possesses the rare combination of excellent soil, old vines and ideal cool climate. Planted to Goldridge fine sandy loam, it is southwest facing and sees long periods of morning fog and cool coastal wind in the evening.
VINTAGE
Starting with rain during bloom, 2019 transitioned into a steady, slow to warm spring. Temperate throughout the summer, offering only a couple intermittent heat spikes. Average yields and incredible quality with harvest beginning in early August.
WINEMAKING
Gently whole cluster pressed, cold-settled for two days, then racked to concrete eggs where it is inoculated with yeast and sur lie aged until malolactic fermentation complete. The wine is then racked into concrete eggs for 10 months aging.
Vintage: 2019
Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Vineyard: Mill Station Vineyard of Dutton Ranch
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Aging: Concrete eggs for 10 months
Brix: 23.9?
pH: 3.45
TA: 0.59 g/100ml
Alcohol %: 13.9%
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.
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