Country: | United States |
Regions: | California California (Sonoma County) |
Winery: | Marimar Estate |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Vintage: | 2011 |
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
Don Miguel Vineyard
Russian River Valley AVA
Why "Acero"?
Acero is the Spanish word for steel and refers to the fact that this wine has never seen any oak. Especially selected for fruit intensity and aromatics, the grapes are fermented in stainless steel to capture the purity of the flavors. After completing malolactic fermentation, the wine is kept in the tank until bottling in late spring.
The Clones
The blend of clones in the 2011 Acero is 67% See and 33% Rued.
The Vinification
The grapes were harvested October 1-2, gently whole-cluster pressed and cold fermented together in stainless steel tanks at 55 degrees F. After completing the primary fermentation, the wine went through 100% malolactic in the same tank. It was bottled in August 2012.
Tasting Notes
This is another classic bottling of Acero -- attractive bright fruit, fresh and lively, with notes of lemon cream, white peach and ginger. Crisp and vibrant in the mid palate, it shows great balance, full flavors and a dry, long finish. It is easy to drink and to enjoy, perfect with foods like tapas and light dishes. I would recommend serving it at 46-48 F.
The Marimar Estate
Exporting a Legacy To California
Nestled in the rolling hills of western Sonoma County, the Russian River/Green Valley appellation is a perfect microclimate for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Only 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean and 50 miles north of San Francisco, the site is influenced by the sea's cooling breezes and drifting fog. That is why Marimar Torres selected this privileged location to "export" the Torres family legacy of fine wines to California.
A Catalan Farmhouse-Winery
Built in 1992 with a capacity of 15,000 cases, the winery sits on a hill surrounded by vines. The production wing is outfitted with carefully selected equipment, to allow the control essential to producing a wine based on minimal handling. Its three barrel rooms with independent temperature and humidity controls provide flexibility to experiment with various vinification techniques, in order to best express the fruit's character.
The Marimar Vineyard
The Don Miguel Vineyard: A Unique Site
Marimar came to live in California in 1975. After two years of searching, she acquired the land and began planting the vineyard in 1986. Today there are 30 acres planted with Chardonnay and 30 with Pinot Noir. The wines are made entirely from estate-grown grapes. Named in honor of the late patriarch of the family, the vineyard is unique in California because it is totally European in style. The vines are trained very close to the ground on an open vertical trellis, following the slope of an east-facing hillside; the rootstocks are phylloxera resistant; and the planting density is 2000 vines per acre, four times more than is traditional in California. Such high density promotes root competition and diminishes vigor, naturally reducing the output per vine.
Yields are low and labor is intensive, but the vines live longer and produce grapes with greater concentration of flavors, more refined and elegant aromas, and better balance. To contribute complexity, Marimar did extensive research to select several clones of each varietal: See, Rued and Spring Mountain for Chardonnay; and Cristina 88, Swan, Pommard, Lee, Dijon 115 and Dijon 667 for Pinot Noir. Each clone brings different attributes to the final blend, resulting in wines with deep layers of flavor
Torbreck The Descendant Shiraz - Viognier is made from 91% Shiraz, 9% Viognier.
Wonderfully lifted aromatics, perfumed fresh black and red fruits complemented by spice and florals wafting from the glass. Blackcurrants, mulberry, cassis, and satsuma plum intertwine with pot-pourri, dried apricots, cloves and star anise. The palate shows the integration of dark Barossa fruits and second use RunRig French oak barriques balanced by trademark viscosity. A firm mouthfeel of fine grained tannins balanced by dense yet creamy like texture extolling the vineyard pedigree.
Pair with forest game, mushrooms or truffles.
Review:
The Descendant is a Shiraz Viognier blend, co-fermented. This year, the 2020 Descendant comprises 91% Shiraz and 9% Viognier; the vineyard is in Marananga and was planted in 1994, from cuttings form the RunRig vineyard. It matured for 20 months in second fill French oak barriques, previously used for the RunRig. In every way (price, vineyard source, cepage, maturation), this wine is a baby RunRig, although there remain some stylistic differences in the mouth. For one thing, this 2020 Descendant has been matured (as mentioned) in older oak, so the imprint of oak flavors is more subtle. While there is no denying that the texture has an extreme slick and polish (it is almost thick in the mouth, truly plush) from the high percentage of Viognier, the wine is pure and glossy and exuberantly fruit driven. The tannins, which exist very much within the wine, are savory and exotically spiced: star anise, clove, hints of cardamom, licorice, red dirt and iodine. This is very good, luxurious, enveloping, sybaritic, with lots going on.
-Wine Advocate 96 Points
Bavencoff Bourgogne Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Color of medium intensity, purplish in its youth at present, changing to ruby then garnet, after several years in the bottle.
The nose offers intense aromas of cherries, kirsch and fresh strawberry. The palate is the perfectly balanced between round tannins and an elegant freshness. It is harmonious and medium-bodied with a silky and elegant texture and a delicious lingering finish.
Alcoholic fermentation in stainless tanks for 3 weeks. Malolactic fermentation : 80% in stainless tank and 20% in one year old casks (Allier).Manual harvest.
Produced from 100% Pinot Noir planted on clay and limestone soils.
Grilled or boiled red meats, roasts, mild game, soft cheeses like Camembert and Brie.