Ron Rubin - Russian River Valley - Chardonnay2018

WHITE WINE

Tasting notes

Soft and creamy notes of apples, pears and spices envelope the senses, with added aromas of vanilla and toasty oak. This Chardonnay is very balanced and approachable with crisp fruit flavors, hints of butter and oak. This fruit-forward Chardonnay is wonderful when enjoyed with hard cheeses, beet salad or a summer risotto.

Terroir

Cool morning fog sweeps from the Pacific Ocean over the Russian River Valley nearly every day. This unique climate produces diurnal swings ranging from 35 to 40 Farenheit, allowing the delicate Chardonnay grapes to ripen longer on the vine. As a result, Russian River Valley Chardonnay typically sees an increase in flavor and complexity.

Vintage

The 2017 vintage was a year for extremes. It began with a greatly appreciated cool and wet spring, putting a true bookend on the multiyear drought of the early 2010's. Multiple warm spells were sprinkled throughout the growing season, but the vines were able to tap deep water reserves and grew uniformly and ripened a balanced crop. As harvest began, an extremely warm Labor Day weekend carried many grapes across the finish line. All our grapes were harvested by early October, fermenting safely in the winery prior to the tragic wildfires which swept through our region.

Technical data

HARVEST DATES: Sept. 11 - Oct. 2, 2017
TYPE/SIZE OF FERMENTATION VESSEL: Barrel fermented with mix of French and American Oak, 20% new.
Complete secondary (malolactic) fermentation in barrels.
ALC. 13.7%
PH 3.72
TA 4.9 g/L
BOTTLING DATE May 7, 2018
CLOSURE Stelvin Twist-Off with Saranex Oxygen Barrier Liner

Vinification

The Chardonnay grapes for this wine were hand-picked and whole-cluster pressed to retain optimum flavor and integrity of the fruit. Sourcing from our favorite vineyards allows us to showcase the bright fruit flavors while allowing for a great acidic structure.