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| Country: | United States |
| Regions: | Oregon Oregon (Willamette) |
| Winery: | Holocene Wines |
| Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
| Vintage: | 2024 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Holocene Aureolin Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
164 cases produced
By now, everyone knows that the Willamette Valley is an amazing place to grow Pinot Noir. When Todd Alexander relocated from Napa Valley to partner up with Force Majeure Vineyards, he knew he also wanted to start a project where he could focus attention on a varietal and growing region that he loved. Part of the excitement of being in the Pacific Northwest is the ability to have access to so many amazing vineyards and so much diversity, along with the opportunity to push boundaries and try new things – something that is becoming increasingly difficult in other growing regions.
He partners up with a few very small, diverse and amazing vineyards in the Willamette Valley, sourcing fruit from these dry-farmed sites that emphasize low yields, sustainable practices and produce outstanding fruit.
The wines are crafted in the same way Todd has been making wine since he was carrying it out at Bryant Family Vineyard in the Napa Valley — utilizing very low-impact, non-industrial techniques, native yeasts, little extraction and little new oak, and never filtering or fining. This allows a real sense of place to show through in the wines that is often dimmed when too much manipulation is undertaken.
The first vintage was 2015, and was released in early 2017.
Review:
"I continue to love these Pinot Noirs under Todd Alexander’s Holocene label. While they’re not from Washington State, I was able to taste these during my visit with Force Majeure (which are also made by Todd) and I’m thrilled to be able to include them here." - Jeb Dunnuck (April 2020)
This chardonnay has a characteristic pale yellow color with a shade of gold and subtle nose that will remind you the fresh butter nuts and roasted almonds. On the palate, it is full bodied and fruity with a pleasant roundness.
Average age of the vines is 25 years old.
We produce a part of this cuvee with 12 hours skin maceration and another part from directly pressed grapes.
Wine was slightly filtered before bottling to insure the wine remains stable.
Best friend as an aperitive or with freshwater fish, shellfish and goat cheeses.
The word "Balade" is French for wandering. This is a fitting term for our annual exploration of single-vineyard Pinot Noir & Chardonnay blocks on the west coast. Each vintage, we will bottle only the most compelling and nuanced expression of pinot noir from a single selected vineyard and release it as a limited bottling.
Tasting Notes
Beautiful golden hue with enticing aromas of honeyed almond, vanilla custard, ripe pear, and hints of lemon zest. On the palate, lush notes of apricot, crisp green apple, and a touch of toasted hazelnut come forward. This wine has a well-balanced mouthfeel that dances on the palate with bright, lively acidity and subtle minerality, offering a stunning
expression of a coastal driven Chardonnay.
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.
Collier Creek Front Coach Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Nestled in the heart of the Lodi Appellation, where farmland ran as far as the eye could see, Collier Creek is a place that reminds us of simpler times. A first class wine for the price of coach, this stainless steel fermented Chardonnay is driven by notes of pear and citrus, rolling out with a dry, refreshing finish.
RS: 3.75 g/L
TA: 6.2 g/L
Pair with grilled chicken, goat cheese, fish tacos w/ citrus slaw.
Ptit Paysan Chardonnay Jackss Hill is made from 100% Chardonnay
Oak: Combination of neutral oak (2% new French) and stainless tanks
This wine comes from a few vineyards at the base of Jack's Hill, planted on the distinct iron oxide granite that dominates the east side of Salinas Valley, directly east of Sleepy Hollow North.
Bright, crisp and clean with orchard fruit giving way to an intense minerality.
Oumsiyat Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Intense aromas of luscious tropical fruit notes of ripe peach and pineapple are refreshingly balanced on the palate through to a clean and zesty finish.
RS: 2 g/L
The Chardonnay grapes were sorted prior to vinification to ensure the fruit was healthy and ripe. The grapes were then pressed, and the must was racked to stainless steel fermentation tanks, where the must was fermented at 14 to 16°C with selected yeasts. The wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation to maintain the crisp, fresh style. The wine rested on its fine lees for three months adding texture and subtle complexity before being gently filtered and bottled.
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
Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.
Color: brilliant red with burgundy reflects; Bouquet: penetrating with memories of wild black fruits, black cherry and noble wood; Taste: warm, dry and persistent
Coming from a parcel with 10-15 year old vines planted in sandy clay and marl soils.
Harvest is 100% destemmed with a soft pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature of 28-30°C, pumping over for the first week of maceration followed by skin-contact maceration for 20-25 days with rack and return technique (delestage).
Malolactic fermentation completed.
Wine is slightly filtered before bottling.
Review:
This is a really balanced and pretty young Brunello with dark-cherry and citrus character on both the nose and palate. It’s medium-bodied with integrated tannins and a beautiful, succulent finish. Nicely done. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.
-James Suckling 95 Points