Fall Release Lorenzo Vineyard Chardonnay
2018
Winemaker’s Notes
Our Lorenzo Vineyard bottling comes from a tiny superior section of this venerable old vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley, an elevated sandy/silty corner in a vineyard otherwise dominated by heavier clay/loam soils. Planted in 1974, these vines are expertly tended by the wonderful Bazzano family.
This is a totally unique, highly specific, terroir-driven wine. Its style and quality can’t be replicated anywhere else, given the distinctive vine age, plant pedigree and very cool foggy vineyard site. With only six or seven barrels made each year, this will always be our most limited production, and the 2018 bottling is one of my favorite wines of the vintage.
Aromatically, the wine displays white flowers, savory herbs, flint and lemongrass, with a botanical sea-spray and mineral element that’s vibrant and intense. The palate is layered and multi-dimensional: stone fruit, oatmeal, lime juice and oyster shell. Its oily, weighty texture lends lemon curd richness offset by piercing mineral acidity. There’s a sense of hidden power, complexity and nuance that makes this wine so thrilling. Drink at 55° F between late 2020 and 2028. Bottled unfiltered.
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Vineyard
Harvest Date
september 25th
Appellation
Russian River Valley
Clones
Old Wente
Age of Vines at Harvest
44 years
Barrel Aging
aged 12 months in 28% new french oak barrels from tonnellerie mercurey followed by six months settling in tank.
Production
167 cases of 750mL