Country: | United States |
Regions: | Oregon Oregon (Chehalem Mountains Oregon) |
Winery: | Alloro Vineyard |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Vintage: | 2012 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Chakana is the name of the Southern Cross constellation. Its rotation in the sky throughout the year made it an effective agricultural calendar for the ancient Andean people.
Estate Chardonnay is from Chakana's Altamira vineyard (3,200 ft elevation).
Yellow color with green hints. Deep and clean aromas of pineapple, toasty notes and a fresh mineral character and finish. A good body, dense and lively on the palate.
Paul Hobbs Edward James Estate Chardonnay Russian River Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This small five-acre estate named after Paul's great-grandfather, Edward James, rewards us with a chardonnay that is pale straw in color with inviting aromas of lemon zest, red apple skin, gardenia, and honeysuckle. A creamy mouthfeel on the palate evolves into poached pear, ginger spice, and brioche that come together with a crunchy acidity and lively finish.
Review:
The 2021 Chardonnay Edward James Estate takes on a lightly savory tone with a delicate perfume of smoky incense, fresh green pear. There’s a silky texture in this medium to full bodied white, with bright notes of preserved lime, ripe white peaches, and fresh flowers, and it has a clean, fantastic finish.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Paul Hobbs George Menini Estate Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Located on the southwestern edge of the Russian River Valley appellation in an area known as the Sebastopol Hills, this Chardonnay from George Menini Estate displays pale straw in color and boasts an elixir of white and yellow florals, tart yellow apple, bartlett pear, and baking spice. A precise yet supple wine with notes of juicy Gravenstein apple, vibrant sea salt, and crushed rock, complemented by a cool-climate zing of acidity. An impressive level of complexity for a young vineyard.
Review:
The 2021 Chardonnay George Menini Estate, matured for nine months in 27% new oak, is notably perfumed and energetic. The nose segues from iodine and saline to tones of panna cotta, lilac and yuzu, and the palate is stunning with its pairing of highly concentrated, layered flavors and fireworks of fresh acidity. It has a touch of anchoring textural grip, shimmery mineral character and a very long, expressive finish. It will be very long-lived in bottle
-Wine Advocate 97 Points
Sinor-LaVallee Estate Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Sinor-LaVallee Chardonnay reflects a maniacal attentiveness only possible through sole proprietorship from viticulture through winemaking. The aim was to create a singular Chardonnay that expresses the totality of Bassi Ranch’s ultra-coastal terroir.
The wine Chardonnay offers fragrant aromas of tropical fruit with notes of butterscotch, apricot and crème brûlée. The palate is rich and viscous, yet never loses its energy or focus. Flavors of pear, pineapple and peach show trailing notes of vanilla, mineral and spice. A luscious, full-bodied mid palate yields to a sense of balanced sleekness on the finish.
Richly aromatic with notes of white fig, and citrus blossom, this captivating Chardonnay slowly builds on the palate, progressing from silky notes of honeydew, nectarine, and lemon zest to a full finish supported by elegant, toasted oak. Crisp minerality and juicy acidity lift and support the generous fruit and provide the framework for graceful aging. This wine will continue to gain richness and complexity in the bottle and glass.
Lismore Chardonnay Reserve made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
A careful selection of the best of the vintage that exemplifies the extraordinary terroir of Lismore. This Reserve Chardonnay shows intense citrus, stone fruit, jasmine and walnut layered with honey and vanilla carried by a distinct minerality and crisp acidity with a lingering citrus finish.
Wine Made in the Soil
The vineyards are planted in decomposed shale over clay at 300 meters in the foothills of the Sonderend Mountain Range. A low mean February temperature lends to an extended ripening period that can put harvest 3-4 weeks later than traditional wine growing regions in South Africa. The intense citrus notes and the lingering finish are consistent trademarks of Lismore's specific terroir. The restrained minerality of the Chardonnay is a clear indication of the cool climate in which it is grown.
Wine of Origin "Greyton" has been designated by SAWIS recognizing the special terroir of this region.
Delightful with warm curries which lift the aromatics or a traditional pairing of smoked salmon highlighting the fresh acidity.
Review:
"The 2021 Chardonnay Estate Reserve is 100% from Greyton matured for 11 months in 500-litre barrels, 40% new. It has a wonderful bouquet with honeydew melon, apricot blossom and light crushed stone scents that percolate through with time. The palate is very well balanced with tropical hints of passion fruit and guava, but the acidity keeps everything on a tight course, very minerally on the finish. Top class.- Neal Martin"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (September 2022), 94 pts
APPELLATION: Alloro Single Vineyard, 100% Estate Grown & Bottled
Chehalem Mountains AVA
LIVE & IOBC Certified Sustainable
TOPOGRAPHY: 450 - 600ft elevation, Southwest aspect
SOIL: Laurelwood Series
HARVEST: November 2nd
ELEVAGE: Field Sorted & Gently Pressed, Barrel Fermented
Full ML utilizing Bâtonnage, 10 months in French Oak, 20% new
CLONES: 50% Dijon 76, 50% Dijon 96
CELLARING: Drink now through 2020
PRODUCTION: 110 cases
ALCOHOL: 13.2%
WINEMAKER: Tom Fitzpatrick
PROPRIETOR: David Nemarnik
The Vintage:
Tasting Notes: This wine reveals a core of minerality with pear and hints of cinnamon, biscuit, crème soda, and tropical fruit. Smooth and round on the palate, with velvet texture and lively acidity. The long finish lingers with persistent mineral, tropical fruit, and subtle baking spice.
#O1EE319000CHS
UPC code: 0 20728 89003 5
2011 Alloro, Estate Chardonnay, 12/750ml
APPELLATION: Alloro Single Vineyard, 100% Estate Grown & Bottled
Chehalem Mountains AVA
LIVE & IOBC Certified Sustainable
TOPOGRAPHY: 450 - 600ft elevation, Southwest aspect
SOIL: Laurelwood Series
HARVEST: November 2nd
ELEVAGE: Field Sorted & Gently Pressed, Barrel Fermented
Full ML utilizing Bâtonnage, 10 months in French Oak, 20% new
CLONES: 50% Dijon 76, 50% Dijon 96
CELLARING: Drink now through 2020
PRODUCTION: 110 cases
ALCOHOL: 13.2%
WINEMAKER: Tom Fitzpatrick
PROPRIETOR: David Nemarnik
The Vintage: A wet and cool Spring delayed our vines’ awakening by almost 3 weeks. We begin to see bud swell the week of April 22nd. The cool and wet weather persisted pushing Bud Break to the week of May 10th. Record breaking cool temperature and precipitation continued throughout June and flowering was finally observed the week of July 8th. The remainder of the Summer delivered more average heat and light, but we still entered Veraison, the start of ripening, the week of September 13th, about 3-4 weeks behind schedule. Fortunately, September was one of the warmest on record and favorable conditions persisted throughout October, allowing healthy grapes to hang on the vine until early November.
Tasting Notes: This wine reveals a core of minerality with pear and hints of cinnamon, biscuit, crème soda, and tropical fruit. Smooth and round on the palate, with velvet texture and lively acidity. The long finish lingers with persistent mineral, tropical fruit, and subtle baking spice.
"Barrel fermented and put through full malolactic with regular batonnage, this superbly balanced, graceful Chardonnay is orchestrated around a complex mix of pear, tropical fruit, biscuit, cream soda and light baking spices. The acidity carries a hint of mineral, and the palate impression is lively and smooth.— P.G."
- Wine Enthusiast (April 1st 2014), 92 pts + Editor's Choice
"Alloro’s 2011 Chardonnay is dominated by apple and lime garlanded with honeysuckle. Creamy though at the price of a faint outright lactic character, it nevertheless retains a lovely, vintage-typical sense of levity and primary juiciness as well as subtle stoniness and salinity, all the way through its sustained finish. I would tentatively plan on enjoying it through 2015.- DS"
- Robert parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #209, October 2013), 90 pts
The Alloro Estate
Alloro Vineyard is 78 acres of uniquely contoured, loess-derived, Laurelwood soil. Located on a southwest-facing slope in Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains AVA, within the Willamette Valley, this very special place is the heart and soul of our wines and is personally cared for by Founder, David Nemarnik. We are an artisan, limited-production producer and are 100% Estate, crafting all our wines from this single vineyard. Our Burgundy trained, UC Davis educated Winemaker, Tom Fitzpatrick, is focused on producing elegant wines of balance, with character and soul, that capture the distinct personality of our terrior, the purity of its fruit, and that delight and inspire.
The winery was designed specifically for the production of small lots of handcrafted Pinot noir. The building is situated at the crest of the hill, in the center of our estate vineyard. Having the winery in the middle of the estate allows us to be intimately connected to what is happening with the vines during the growing season, and allows for very close monitoring of fruit ripeness and optimal harvest timing.
The building was designed and engineered to last for generations, constructed almost entirely out of concrete and Oregon Douglas fir. The traditional underground cellaring caves are energy efficient, taking advantage of the cool earth to maintain ideal cellaring temperature and humidity. Solar panels were installed to act as the primary source of energy for winery operations. The winery was designed by Architect Larry Ferrar and was completed in time for the 2003 harvest.
Alloro, Italian for laurel, is the evergreen plant said to symbolize immortality in ancient times and often used as a symbol for peace today. Our estate vineyard and winery are located on Laurel Ridge in the Chehalem Mountains and the vineyard’s ancient basalt and loess soil is of Laurelwood Series. Alloro was chosen to reflect our founder’s Italian heritage and as a symbol of this very special place.
The Alloro Vineyard
78 acres of uniquely contoured, loess-derived, Laurelwood soil. Located on a southwest-facing slope in Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains, this special place is the heart and soul of our wines.
Our Chardonnay blocks are comprised of Dijon clones 76 and 96, grafted to Riparia Gloire rootstock.
Our Pinot noir blocks are comprised of clones 777, 667, 114, and Pommard, grafted to Riparia Gloire and 3309 root stocks.
Exceptionally aromatic with aromas of violets, hints of blackberry, blackcurrant and black plum on the nose. There is some spice that is balanced with fresh acidity and minerality. A long finish with ripe but firm tannins.
Dow's Senhora da Ribeira can be enjoyed anytime and pairs wonderfully with chocolate desserts and soft cheeses like creamy Stilton or Roquefort.
Review:
Rich and fruity, this wine is packed with intense black-currant flavors. It is perfumed, ripe with a good tannic background. The density of the wine and the firm structure point to a long aging process. Drink this beautifully structured wine from 2026.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Winemaking:
Senhora da Ribeira has one of the most advanced specialist wineries in the Douro, combining the best of traditional winemaking practice, evolved over centuries, and the latest state-of-the-art automated systems. Three granite ‘lagares’ for foot treading are complemented by three ‘robotic’ lagares, designed by the Symington family and installed in the quinta’s winery in 2001.
It has long been recognised that traditional treading produced some of the finest Ports, but there are some drawbacks involved in traditional treading; temperature control is difficult, there is a limit to how long people are willing to tread and they need to sleep. The winemaker’s options are therefore limited, he or she cannot order treading at different times through the night, or pull people off the picking team at will. Furthermore, emptying the traditional lagar takes a long time; in the meantime the fermentation process is accelerating away. A further handicap arose over recent years, when an increasing scarcity of labour obliged producers to look for less labour-intensive vinification solutions. The Symingtons opted to devise a mechanical means of replicating the proven method of foot treading. The result was the Symington ‘robotic lagar’, an automated treading machine which exactly replicates the gentle action of the human foot and which has revolutionised winemaking in the Douro Valley. This equipment is very expensive but the results have been so good that an increasing proportion of Dow’s finest wines are now made in these automated lagares. Approximately half of the wines for Dow’s much praised 2003 Vintage were vinified in them.
The Senhora da Ribeira’s Quinta Vintage Ports have amassed a highly impressive number of awards: three Gold Medals at the International Wine Challenge, (2008, 2006 and 2001, for the 2005, 2002 and 1999 Vintages, respectively) as well as seven Silver Medals and two Gold Medals at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (London, 2008 for the 2005 Vintage and 2002 for the 1998 Vintage). In September 2006, Jancis Robinson MW wrote, “One very exciting new bottling is Dow’s Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira 2004...this single quinta bottling demonstrates superb quality with wonderful vibrancy. Great wine in any context - not that unlike some California reds! This is definitely a wine to look out for when it is released.”
Wine Profile
The very hot climate through the summer at this vineyard results in highly complex and concentrated wines but very low yields. Colours of the musts in the fermentation tanks are always purple-black due to the very high skin to juice ratio. The old vines add further to the intensity of the wine as they make up a very large percentage of the vineyard. The resulting wine can be described as being the essence of Vintage Port, with powerful wild red-fruit flavours, leading into rich black chocolate notes, the whole balanced by complex, attractive and peppery tannins.
One of the Douro’s most beautiful vineyards, Senhora da Ribeira is located 24km (15 miles) upriver from Quinta do Bomfim in the remote Douro Superior. The vineyard commands a magnificent north bank position, overlooking a broad sweep of the Douro, directly opposite another famous Symington owned vineyard: Quinta do Vesuvio. Senhora de Ribeira was built close to an ancient river crossing, guarded by two 12th century castles on either side of the river built by the Moors during their centuries long occupation of Iberia. A small chapel dedicated to the ‘Lady of the River’ (literally: Senhora da Ribeira) has stood here for centuries and gave the quinta its name. Travellers would pause here to ask for a safe river passage and onward journey.
Senhora da Ribeira’s wines are some of the finest in the Douro and they complement those from Bomfim in the composition of Dow’s classic Vintage Ports. The quinta’s high proportion of old vines (45% are over 25 years old) is of critical importance. The old vines are very low-yielding, producing on average less than 1Kg of grapes each, giving intense and concentrated musts which are ideal for classic Vintage Port. The remainder of the vineyard was replanted as follows: 21% in 2001 and 34% from 2004, the latter involving mainly Touriga Nacional vines. This grape variety - very important for Vintage Port - now represents almost exactly a third of the total planted at the quinta. The entire vineyard has the maximum ‘A’ rating.
As with Bomfim, the consistency of the climate plays a key role, although the rainfall is only half of that experienced at Bomfim: 448mm is the 10 year average. This more extreme climate, hot dry summers and cold, equally dry winters results in wines with unique depth of colour and complexity.
As with Quinta do Bomfim, the best Ports from Senhora de Ribeira are used to make Dow’s Vintage Ports in the great and rare ‘Declared’ years. In the good year’s when Dow’s does not ‘declare’ a Vintage, the best wines of ‘The Lady of the River’ are bottled as Dow’s Quinta de Senhora da Ribeira Vintage Port. They will tend to mature a little earlier than the very rare ‘Declared’ years, but can be every bit as good as some other Vintage Ports.
Gambellara Soave I Basalti is made from 100 percent Garganega
Soave DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata)
Production area: Soave hills
Vineyard training system: Open pergola
Vinification: Destemming, maceration of the grapes in the must for 12 hours, racking and long fermentation at 18 °C
The color is a brilliant straw yellow with a fresh fruit perfumes, especially apple and pear, and floral notes such as elder and bloom. The taste is very fresh and light, with a very interesting acidity. There is an important presence of mineral salts due to the volcanic origin of the soil. Ideal as aperitif, light main courses such as pasta and risotto, shell fish and fish, soups and vegetables.