Can a wine be wonderfully recognizable and delightfully unexpected at the same time? We think so! One of our great pleasures is helping people rediscover the many facets of the Chardonnay grape. While celebrating the essence of the Russian River Valley, this Chard nonetheless prides itself on standing out from the crowd. The Rued clone from Stiling Vineyard gives the blend its exotic signature each year, bringing delicate notes of jasmine and almond supported by lavish flavors of baked pear, quince and tropical fruits on the textured yet energetic palate. Offering stylistic counterpoints, Clone 4 from just a mile down Vine Hill Road provides vibrant green apple and a mineral note, while the Robert Young clone from the Petaluma Gap completes the ensemble with rich baked apple and extra body on the gently creamy finish.
Lovely on its own or as a complement to the meal, we think this is a perfect way to start (or finish) an evening. If you were excited by the 2012, you’ll find the 2013 marches lockstep with it in quality and character. While forward and generous enough young, our Chardonnays do quite nicely with 3-6+ years on them. So go ahead and give one a try this summer, but consider putting some down for future gratification as well. The optimum window for this wine may truly begin about a year from now.
DRINKING WINDOWS
Prime drinking: late 2015 through 2018 Graceful ageability: 2019+
VINEYARDS
50% Stiling, 36% Black Emerald, 14% Roberts Road
CLONES
50% Rued, 36% Clone 4, 14% Robert Young
STATS
pH: 3.36 | TA: 6.3g/L | Alcohol: 14.2% Bottling: December 8, 2014 | Release: Spring 2015 Cases Produced: 6 Six Packs
Direct sales are allocated exclusively to EK Allocation List members at a 10% discount. Orders of 6+ bottles save an additional 50% off shipping. New releases ship twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Join EK Allocation List
CUSTOMIZED ALLOCATIONS
You may customize your spring and fall allocations any way you like, from 0–12 bottles of each wine. (Small-lot and list-only wines will have lower limits.) To modify your allocations, click on MY ALLOCATION above. Join EK Allocation List
REORDERS
Wines often sell out at or close to release, so we encourage making the most of your spring and fall allocations. As long as wine remains, you are welcome to reorder online through our EK Special Order store. Or contact John Gillis at john@erickentwines.com or 415.244.9453.
