" We don't sell the wine without touching the vine "
Abeja Chardonnay Washington State 2012
No longer available.
| Country: | United States |
| Region: | Washington |
| Winery: | Abeja |
| Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
| Vintage: | 2012 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
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Winemaker’s Notes
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Product Description
Abeja Chardonnay Washington State 2012 is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Aged for 5 months in 100% French oak barrels (medium toast Allier and Vosges: 40% new, 60% one and two year-old).
The 2011 vintage was the second exceptionally cool vintage in a row, and was actually cooler than 2010. We have chosen cooler sites for our Chardonnay and so the cool vintage had us making extra tough viticultural decisions in the vineyards. We worked closely with our growers to do everything possible to ripen small crop by opening the fruit zone, adjusting the crop level, and monitor for insect, bird, and mildew pressure. The extra work payed off and we were able to achieve excellent flavor maturity. We were also fortunate that we didn’t have an early frost as we ripened Celilo Vineyard into the first week of November.
This Chardonnay has the essence of a freshly baked lemon meringue pie, green apple, and Bartlett pear. It is both dense and bright, with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon coming from its time in barrel. Aromas are so much related to experiences. I was fortune enough to grow up close to Chet and Jessie Bullard. Often, Jessie would bake an amazing lemon meringue pie and we would enjoy it while she played The Bird on Nellie’s Hat but, I digress. It is a wine that is in the traditional Abeja style, with superb polish, complexity, and balance, yet with a light touch at 13.5 percent alcohol.
"Another classic vintage of Abeja Chardonnay, this is a memorable style that’s built around yummy barrel flavors of toast and caramel, with notes of stone fruits. The three vineyard sources—Celilo, Conner Lee, and French Creek—form a perfect crescent across the state and capture the essence of three quite different AVAs. It has lovely texture and length, with… — P.G."
- Wine Enthusiast (November 1st 2012), 93 pts + Editor's Choice
Winery: Abeja
The Abeja Winery
The Abeja Winery sits at the base of the Washington Blue Mountains, just east of Walla Walla, on a farm estate over 100 years old.
Ken and Ginger Harrison spent 35 years in Portand, Oregon before their strategic move to Walla Walla. The growing climate was ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, Ken’s preferred varietal, which made this the perfect location for Abeja Winery. Ken focused on growing and producing, while Ginger operated the Harrison’s Inn.
In 2002, Ken and Ginger met the perfect additions to their Abeja Winery team, John Abbott and Molly Galt. Hailing from the Napa Valley since college, John worked at Pine Ridge and Acacia Winery. He and Molly later began Canoe Ridge Vineyard in Walla Walla. Molly handled all of the marketing and public relations and John was the winemaker for almost ten years.
When choosing a name for their vineyard, they wanted to represent a period of farming that had respect for the environment and close connection to the earth. The word “Abeja” is Spanish for bee. The simplistic nature and beauty of the word complimented their “farm softly” style. The honeybee is the ultimate symbol for their way of life because honeybees are so impacted by how one farms and yet very important to an ample and robust style of agriculture. The Abeja Winery truly strives to make a difference by minimizing impact and nurturing the land. Abeja vineyards are certified sustainable farming by organizations such as LIVE, Salmon Safe, and Vinea.
Some wines from Abeja Winery:
- Abeja, Chardonnay, Washington State
- Abeja, Merlot, Columbia Valley
- Abeja, Syrah, Walla Walla Valley
- Abeja, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
- Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve Columbia Valley
Any Abeja wines we have in stock are listed below, if you don’t see the wine you are looking for please don’t hesitate to ask for it.
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Rubus Special Edition Barossa Shiraz is made from 100 percent
The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.
Deep red with a slight purple hue on release. The wine has a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive on the nose. The palate is expansive, and yet balanced and finessed. An amalgam of dark berried flavors and textural sensations. The 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.
Sourced from Thorn-Clarke’s St Kitts vineyard (Block 7) in the far north of the Barossa, the Rubus Reserve demonstrates both the strengths of the region and the unique characters of the vineyard.
A thin layer of topsoil over weathered marble, schist and shale mean the vines work hard to source water and nutrients. The result is naturally low yields concentrating the power and density of the fruit. Diurnal temperature variation is another important aspect of St. Kitts. Warm daytime temperatures are followed by cool nights with variations of up to 30°C (55°F) from the peak during the day into the cool night minimums.
Review:
“Earthy detail develops in this sleek and juicy shiraz, a tarry streak under fresh plum and bruised strawberry. The tannins have gravity and precision, their bracing intensity and concentration integrated into what panelist David Hawkins described as “a big, powerful wine with great liveliness.” While suited to aging, this is accessible now if you’re grilling meats to serve with it.”
- Wine & Spirits (February 2023), 94 pts
"Made by Thorn-Clarke for the US market, this has a rich and vivid nose with blueberry, violet, dark plum and subtle oak spice in play. The palate has a succulent feel with plenty of rich, open-knit blackberry and blueberry flavor. Smoothly delivered tannins carry long and even. Drink over the next decade."
- James Suckling (November 2021), 94 pts
Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is made from 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Shiraz .
Encompassing everything the Hill-Smith family stands for and the perfect representation of Yalumba’s history and ethos, The Signature is a sentimental favorite. A classic Australian blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, the first vintage release of The Signature was in 1962. Since then, this outstanding wine has acknowledged more than 57 Signatories; people who have enhanced the traditions and culture of Yalumba.
Seductive and alluring florals, cool mints, red pomegranate with fine blackberry fruits and dark cherry aromas. The palate is delightfully generous with dark red cherry fruit that merges into ironstone tannins. A medium to full bodied wine with a long, flowing tannin profile.
Review:
A full-weighted, archetypal Aussie blend. Cabernet and shiraz, both from the Barossa. The top wines of Yalumba have undergone considerable refinement in recent years. The tannins, better managed; the fruit, more restrained; the oak, judicious. Here, an example. Fresh and lithe. Scents of anise, bay leaf and kirsch, with a nourishing core of beef bouillon. An expansive sweetness grows in trajectory, with a douse of menthol at the finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.
-James Suckling 94 Points
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