Country: | United States |
Region: | Virginia |
Winery: | Annefield Vineyards |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Vintage: | 2014 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Jip Jip Rocks Chardonnay 2014 is made from 100 percent unoaked Chardonnay.
Light yellow with a pale straw hue. A classic nose of lemon, fresh stonefruit and melon. The palate is clean and fresh with mineral characters underpinning ripe pineapple and lime flavours. This wine will age beautifully over the next 4-5 years.
Winemaking report: Gentle pressing and free run juices create the base of this wine. Traditionally Jip Jip Rocks Chardonnay is a 2/3 blend fermented and matured in stainless steel and 1/3 fermented in stainless steel, which receives extended lees contact to add texture and complexity to the palate.
Ancien Chardonnay Carneros is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Chardonnay Carneros owes its style, depth, and structure to intensely flavored, low yielding, heirloom clones growing in two Carneros vineyards: on the Napa side, the Toyon Farm and on the Sonoma side, the Sangiacomo Vella Ranch. Ancien Wines hand-selected the cuttings themselves, from older vineyards in the Carneros area. These cuttings are reputed to have origins tracing to Paul Masson who imported them from Burgundy in the early 1940’s, from Louis Latour's renowned Corton Charlemagne vineyard. These selections are often referred to as “Old Wente”or “Robert Young,”denoting the sourced mother blocks in the 1960s.
Notes of ripe apple and honeydew melon greet and are delicately perfumed by notes of freesia and citrus blossom. Brighter notes of lime and Meyer lemon match the refreshing acidity of this wine, balanced by a creamy palate and leading to a finish that will continue to lengthen in the coming months. A wonderfully textured and vibrant Chardonnay displaying the best of Carneros.
Chardonnay Carneros is guided toward a layered, complex, and expressive style that develops gracefully in the bottle and shows enticing minerality, vivacious fruit, length and structure. The watchword is balance. Grapes were pressed as whole clusters, settled and fermented entirely in French oak from four different coopers, chosen for their unique synergism and support of the fruit on the palate. One third of the barrels were new. A variety of yeasts were used, including native strains, and fermentation proceeded evenly and slowly, averaging a cool 55°F. The wine was aged on its yeast lees, which were stirred weekly through the spring.
Ancien Chardonnay Coombsville Haynes Old Block is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Inspired by the classic and most revered Chardonnay vineyard in the world, Le Montrachet, Ancien winery utilizes the same classic techniques. It is fermented in tight-grained French Oak cask after a gentle squeeze as whole clusters. The wine is not moved through the fermentation and aging period, only pushed by inert gas in gentle fashion into the bottling tank. In vintages where the wine achieves good clarity through natural settling, the wine is not filtered – otherwise it undergoes a light polish to help reveal is core of fruit.
The effusive nose welcomes with layers of lemon meringue, ripe apple, citrus zest, honey and grape blossom. The palate is vibrant and fresh, and the richly textured mouth-feel is expansive. Baked apple tart and stone fruit emerge as this opulent wine reaches the depths of your palate, with further notes brioche. The finish is a focused amalgamation of minerality and ripe fruit. Give this cellar worthy Chardonnay time to open up and it will reveal increasingly lush and creamy layers as it evolves over minutes in the glass and the years in the bottle.
J. Christopher Appassionata Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Appassionata Chardonnay is the expressive summit of this classic Burgundian variety in the Willamette Valley. Fermented and matured in large (500-liter) oak casks, it rests on the full lees for two years before bottling. It then rests in our cellar for another year before its release, three years after vintage. The wine’s elegant texture, fine structure and extended maturation time ensure a long life for this vibrant Chardonnay.
Whole-cluster pressing; native yeast fermentation in 500-liter French oak barrels; natural malolactic fermentation; 21 months maturation on the lees.
Review:
Anyone questioning Chardonnay’s potential in the Willamette Valley should try this rich and sophisticated wine. A silky texture, is met with mouthfilling flavors of orange sorbet, pineapple and challah bread, as well as a hint of mint. The aromas of lemon curd and petrichor are equally delightful.
- Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Argot Chardonnay Sonoma County is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Pouring a green-tinted gold, our Sonoma County Chardonnay is a beautiful wine from word go. Radiating from within, a blast of apple/pear fruit informs this wine both aromatically, and on the palate. As flavors unfurl, a progression of orange blossom, pineapple, white peach, and hazlenut are followed by a finish dominated by ginger, baked apple, with a trailing kiss of mint’s freshness. A stunning wine — wholly informed by the perfection of 2018’s growing season — defined by its dichotomy of massively intense flavors, and superb acidity and freshness.
Raised by minimalistic methods, often associated with the classic Chardonnay winemaking techniques of Meursault. With a focus on the coolest Chardonnay region in Sonoma County, 2018’s long, even growing season favored our vineyards’ moderate climate, old vines and deep volcanic soils. These grapes were allowed an extended ripening period on the vine, resulting in perfect balance and concentrated flavors.
Chardonnay presents notes of apple and stone fruits like nectarine and peach. As it evolves in the glass, ripe citrus notes with a touch of tropical fruit and floral aromas like honeysuckle emerge from a bright vanilla background. Fruit forward with a subtle flint undertone, this wine presents a touch of minerality and a long, clean finish.
The Annefield Grape Varietals
AWHITE QUARTZ SAPPONY INDIAN arrowhead was found at the site, so we have christened this vineyard Arrowhead. The first three-acre vineyard planting is on Georgeville silt loam, which produces moderate vine vigor.
With our deep, well drained soils, hot summers, and relatively mild winters, the climate and soil in Charlotte County are perfect for grapevines. We are taking advantage of these great conditions and have selected grape varieties that flourish here and produce the best tasting wines. Our vineyard is situated at 500-ft. elevation in an area with excellent air drainage.
Ripening fruit at Annefield Vineyards
Ripening fruit at Annefield.
We are implementing all necessary vineyard practices to optimize the quality of our fruit. These include the use of the Vertical Shoot Positioning system to train the vines, shoot thinning and leaf pulling throughout early summer, two hedgings per season, and fruit thinning on vigorous varieties.
In April 2006, we planted our first three acres. We started with Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Viognier and Cabernet Franc were grafted onto 3309 Couderc rootstock, and the Cabernet Sauvignon grafted onto Millardet et de Grasset 101-14. Both were selected because they are less vigorous than other rootstocks and grow well in our rich Virginia clay:
Viognier – Viognier is a white grape from the Rhone Valley that makes full-bodied, powerfully perfumed, intensely floral, spicy wines. Its rich and complex aroma is like overripe apricots mixed with orange blossoms. Other descriptors are lime, honeysuckle, jasmine, ginger, and melon. Like Chardonnay, Viognier takes well to oak and to malolactic fermentation.
Cabernet Franc – One of the major red wine grapes of the Bordeaux region, Cabernet Franc is the leaner sibling of Cabernet Sauvignon and often blended with it, not only in France but in Meritage-style New World blends. On its own it is less full-bodied, less tannic and less acidic than Cabernet Sauvignon but it may be more aromatic, fruity, herbal, or vegetal. Cabernet Franc’s primary fruit aromas often suggest raspberry, cherry, strawberry and, especially, plum. It almost always shows a distinctive aroma of violets and a slightly spicy flavor. When it shows vegetal characters, they tend toward bell pepper or stems. With oak treatment, smoke, toast, and tar characters emerge. Extended bottle age promotes earth, mushroom, and cedar aromas.
Cabernet Sauvignon – Cabernet Sauvignon is often called the “king” of red wine grapes. In the great wines of the Medoc region of Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon is always blended (with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and sometimes Petite Verdot and/or Malbec), while elsewhere in the world it may be blended, or bottled on its own. At its best, Cabernet Sauvignon produces wines of tremendous intensity and depth of flavor. It can be firmly tannic and it usually shows dark purple color, firm acidity, full body, and concentrated flavors. It has an affinity for oak and often spends a year or more in barrel, gaining vanilla, toffee, cedar, and/or coconut flavors. Typical fruit aromas of Cabernet Sauvignon are black currant, blackberry, plum, and black cherry with occasional notes of rhubarb or prune. Herbal notes of pepper, asparagus, green or black olive, mint/menthol/eucalyptus and spice notes of ginger, oregano and anise might be found. The particular appeal of Cabernet Sauvignon, however, lies less in its fruit aromas and more in the subtle flavors that develop with years of bottle aging and the complex interaction between the fruit, tannins, fermentation, alcohol and oak.
In 2011, we will plant three additional varietals: Vermentino, Pinot Grigio and Vidal Blanc, all grafted onto Millardet et de Grasset 101-14.
Vermentino – With its bright acidity, aromas of citrus leaf and mineral, and refreshing finish, this grape will most likely become a favorite at Annefield Vineyards. This late-ripening white grape variety is primarily found in Italian wine, though it is thought to be Spanish in origin. Grown in several countries bordering the Mediterranean, its best known examples come from Northern Italy, particularly in the region of Liguria, and the island of Sardinia, where the wines are crisp, citrusy and generally unoaked. It is also the most widely planted white grape on the island of Corsica, where high altitude and hot climate vineyards produce more full-bodied wines with heady floral aromas. On the French mainland the grape is known as Rolle, where it is found in Côtes de Provence and Languedoc. Vermentino is a vigorous grower, resistant to drought, and usually ripens towards the middle of the harvest cycle. The wine is usually a pale straw color and relatively low in alcohol, with crisp acids, citrus-leaf aromatics, and pronounced minerality. Vermentino shows flavors of green apple and lime, heightened by refreshing acidity, good richness and medium body.
Pinot Grigio – Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Gris, as it is known in France, is a white wine variety that is thought to be a mutant clone of Pinot Noir. We know of it from the Middle Ages in Burgundy, where it was probably called Fromenteau. It spread from Burgundy to Switzerland by 1300. Reportedly the grape was a favorite of Emperor Charles IV, who had cuttings imported to Hungary by Cistercian monks. In Italy, Pinot Grigio is found in Lombardy around Oltrepo Pavese and in Alto Adige, Italy’s northernmost wine region. The grape is also prominent in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. The grape was popular in Burgundy and Champagne until the 19th century, but poor yields and unreliable crops caused it to fall out of favor in those areas. The same fate nearly occurred in Germany, but vine breeders in the early 20th century were able to develop clones that would produce a more consistent and reliable crop. For our planting we chose two French clones propagated by the Foundation Plant Services at the University of California, Davis; these are intended to complement each another, for one has a mineral, steely quality (Clone 9), and the other is more fruity and complex (Clone 4). A marriage of the two should produce a wine that tastes strongly of stone fruit and citrus with a flinty, mineral edge.
Vidal Blanc – Vidal Blanc has proven to be among the most versatile varietals in North American viticulture. Vidal Blanc is a hybrid bred from the crossing of the over-productive and under flavored Ugni Blanc (known as Trebbiano in Italy) and an older hybrid, Rayon d’Or. Vidal’s high, natural acidity makes it suitable for a wide range of styles, from light and crisp with racy acid, to slightly off-dry, to Ice Wine. The grape is well suited to cold climates, due to its mid-season ripening and its ability to produce good crops from secondary buds in the event of a late spring frost Vidal produces large clusters of thick-skinned berries, and ultimately, wines with fruity floral characteristics, with grapefruit and pineapple notes. The grape’s thick skin allows this varietal to thrive in Virginia.
Annefield Vineyard:
MUCH OF THE ROCK AND SOIL AT Annefield derives from weathering of the Precambrian rocks that underlie much of the county. Rocks formed during the Precambrian era are between 4.5 billion and 560 million years old. Eons of weathering of these Precambrian rocks have given rise to the Wissahickon schist and gneiss formations, which merge with rocks composed of volcanic material in the area. These complex formations underlie the Georgeville and Herndon loam soil series that is well represented at the farm.
Annefield Vineyards: The first vineyard block is planted in Georgeville series soil.
The first vineyard block is planted in Georgeville series soil.
Although the farm’s soil appears consistent on the surface, there are actually four different classifications of soil on the property:
Georgeville – The Georgeville series consists of deep, well drained soils that have a red clayey layer in the subsoil. These soils are undulating to hilly and are on uplands. They formed in material weathered from metamorphosed sedimentary rock. These soils are strongly acid or very strongly acid subsoil and are low in natural fertility.
Herndon – The Herndon series consists of deep, well drained undulating and rolling soils on uplands. These soils formed in the weathered products of metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks. These soils have a strongly acid to very strongly acid subsoil and are low in natural fertility.
Annefield Vineyards: Note the mixture of clay and weathered rock in the Cabernet Sauvignon block.
Note the mixture of clay and weathered rock in the Cabernet Sauvignon block. Orange – The Orange series consists of deep, somewhat poorly drained to moderately well drained soils that have a very plastic, clayey layer in the subsoil. These soils are undulating to rolling and are on uplands. They formed in material weathered from greenstone, slate and other fine-grained basic rocks. These soils have a medium acid to neutral subsoil and are low to medium in natural fertility.
Appling – The Appling series consists of deep, well drained soils that have a clayey layer in the subsoil. These are undulating to hilly soils on uplands. They formed in the weathered products of acid igneous and metamorphic rocks. Appling soils have a strongly acid to very strongly acid subsoil and are low in natural fertility.
Luis Canas Rioja Crianza is made from 95% Tempranillo and 5% Garnacha
A classic style Rioja from one of the regions most enduring family run wineries.. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.
Tasting notes
Made from 95% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha of 30 years of age, the wine shows a ruby red color, a clean nose with nuances of balsamic, plum and cedar. The palate is smooth and velvety, complex and structured, with fruit, spice flavors with toasted oak. A pleasant finish with red fruits and hints of eucalyptus.
The harvest
This year in Rioja Alavesa the weather has been especially cold, the summer short and dry, and there has been plenty of rain in early September. This has produced wines with great aromatic notes, particularly those coming from high altitude areas, very fragrant and with great structure.
Winemaking and aging
Upon entering the bodega and passing the selection table, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then maceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 8 days, obtaining better color extraction as well as much more complex wines, suitable for prolonged aging. The wine is clarified with vegetable gelatines and follows anicrobic filtration.
It is ideal to pair with meats; red meat, poultry, small game, oily fish, semi-cured cheeses, spicy dishes and hot dishes such as beans or potatoes Rioja style.
After its primary fermentation, the wine is placed in barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for a minimum of 12 months. It is then bottled for at least another 12 months.
Dense purple hues, with evocative aromas of black cherries, ripe plums, nectarines, boysenberry, wild bramble and exotic oak spice. The juicy and sweet-fruited palate entry, combined with crunchy tannins, lures one into a sense of overtness, yet the wine is sublimely elegant and poised. The complex layers of fruit is in perfect harmony with the oak, all bound together by a lively seam of acidity. The finish is pleasantly dry and savory, with lingering notes of Christmas cake and vanilla pod.
Pair with barbequed meats, especially venison and beef / bobotie / lamb curry / seared tuna / spicy Asian-styled cuisine / aromatic curries / duck with sweet plum sauce / beef or lamb burgers / pizza