2007 Hanzell Chardonnay

Tasting Notes

Goedhuis, July 2011: Hanzell is one of the great names in Chardonnay and the 2007 is one of the best we've tasted. The 2007 vintage was a cooler year which enabled their Chardonnay to have a particularly more Burgundian feel. Lifted and fresh with notes of sweet pears, brioche and candied lemons. Wonderfully poised, it is at its sweet spot for drinking now. Fortunately, their Chardonnays age incredibly well indicating that this has a wonderful future ahead of it.
Wine Spectator, Jun 15, 2010, Score: 91: Sleek and focused, with a grainy edge to the citrus, pear, apple and spice notes that are intense, vibrant, tight and focused. Slow to unfold, but a good cellar choice. Drink now through 2016. 1,324 cases made.

Sonoma Valley

Sonoma Valley AVA is an appellation in California, USA. It is the oldest wine region north of San Francisco and is located on the western side of the Mayacamas Mountains, which separate it from the Napa Valley. The valley nearly touches the Russian river valley to the north-west and reaches the Sonoma portion of Carneros in the south. With steep mountains on either side there are great variations in climate and geology, which gives way to many different grape varieties and styles. The most notable varieties are Chardonnay and Zinfandel but also Cabernet and Merlot from hillside sites.

Hanzell

A historic and well renowned wine estate, Hanzell Vineyards was created in 1953 in by Hana and James Zellerbach, a former US ambassador to Italy. Whilst in Europe, James fell in love with Burgundy, particularly Montrachet and Romanée-Conti. When he returned to America, he planted both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on one of the most beautiful hillsides in the Sonoma Valley. His goal was to produce wines with Burgundian finesse yet with the power and depth of fruit that is uniquely Californian. Undeniable pioneers, they were the first in California to use temperature controlled stainless steel tanks - prototypes of their time - for fermenting and new French oak barrels for ageing their Chardonnay. Today, a third of the Chardonnay is vinified in new oak to add extra lushness and depth. Over the years, the estate developed from 6 acres to the 41 acres that it has today, including the oldest producing Pinot Noir vineyard in the New World. Their vines are grown using organic methods and are dry farmed (no irrigation) in most vintages - a rarity by California standards. This light stress forces the grape roots to delve deep into the soil, picking up vital minerals and enabling the vines to express the unique terroir. The estate changed hands following James Zellerbach's death has been now owned for 3 decades by Alexander de Brye and family. Hanzell's Winemaker, Michael Terrien, is a vivacious, curious and gentle soul whose own love for Burgundy has carried forth James' original objective of creating Grand Cru Burgundy in California.

Chardonnay

Undoubtedly the world's most popular white wine grape, Chardonnay is most famous for creating the majority of white Burgundies. It is known for taking on the personality of the climate and soil as well as the style in which it is made. This versatility enables it to wear many masks including still wines from all over the world to sparkling wines in Champagne. It creates crisp, clean, mineral-driven wines in Chablis, exemplary, sumptuous wines in the Cote de Beaune, and palate-filling fruit-bombs, both oaked and otherwise, throughout the New World.