93 Points - International Wine Report
92 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
92 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Winemaking
The 2018 Sonoma Coast vintage offered moderate weather, cool evening temperatures and a long, even growing season. The weather conditions were ideal and allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly over the course of summer and early fall. This allowed the grapes to gain flavor complexities and ripe tannins, while retaining natural acidity. The vineyards offered grapes of exceptional quality and high yields alike. In 2018, the individual Sangiacomo vineyard components were harvested on separate nights and delivered to the winery early in the mornings. They were immediately whole-cluster pressed and barreled down into French oak barrels for fermentation in a temperature controlled cold room to retain bright aromatics and freshness.
Vineyards
The core of our Sojourn Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay is from the same vineyard source as the highly-acclaimed Sojourn Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot noir wines. This wine features a combination of Clone 95 Chardonnay from Sangiacomo Roberts Road Vineyard and Old Wente Clone from Sangiacomo Vella Ranch and Green Acres. The Roberts Road block, planted in 1998, provides minerality and vibrancy. The Old Wente Clone selections are known to produce distinctively small clusters, low yields, and result in elegant, complex wines that round out this blend. These ranches are perfectly suited for growing Chardonnay, with cool climates and well-draining soils.
Vintage
The 2018 vintage proved to be an excellent one for Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Tight cluster formations and small berries resulted in wines with a concentration that rivals the best recent vintages. Our 2018 Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay benefited greatly from these conditions, in addition to the careful stewardship of the land by the Sangiacomo family. The added benefit of longer hang times is the bright acidity in the fruit. The finished wine is fresh, lively and fruit forward, with citrus and apple aromas that leave your mouth watering.
Analysis
Appellation: Sonoma Coast
Vineyards: Sangiacomo Vineyard
Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Fermentation: French Oak barrels 80% Malolactic Fermentation, Native Yeast
Aging: 30% New French Oak
pH: 3.49 TA: 6.4 g/L
Bottled Unfined August 2019
Cases Produced: 400
Alcohol: 14.1%
All Wines
94 Points, Vinous
Racy, exuberant and flat-out delicious. Seared black cherries, red and purple flowers, sage and vanilla make for a very compelling nose on this bottling of a single clone. The palate is fresh with snappy raspberry flavors and then broadens toward baking-spice flavors, proving quite lush and delicious. This is an especially alluring style.
93 Points, Vinous
A great example of where Cabernet's structure and depth are balanced by Syrah's jammy fruit-forward flavors. Savory aromas of dark berries, cassis, baking spices and vanilla that intermingle with earthy notes of dried tobacco, cigar box and saddle leather. Notes of dark fruit flavors carry on to the palate, with dark chocolate, vanilla and a hint of black currant.
91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Aromas bright orchard fruit, lemon confit and white flowers. The palate is crisp, fresh, ripe and savory all at once... a nice interplay of honeyed citrus fruits in the mouth, with a light to medium weight, juicy acidity presenting flavors of Asian pear, nectarine and Rainier cherry with a smooth textured finish of new French oak.
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