Hanzell Vineyards
Sonoma Valley Chardonnay
Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA
Extraordinary chard that punches seriously above its weight. Fine, classic mouthfeel and so supple. Supple. Great freshness. Mineral too. Delicious.
Extraordinary chard that punches seriously above its weight. Fine, classic mouthfeel and so supple. Supple. Great freshness. Mineral too. Delicious.
Apr 20th, 2021
Second winery on day two in Sonoma was Hanzell Vineyards with Whitney. Third wine was the Hanzell Chardonnay, which is their flagship Chardonnay bottling. All the fruit comes from five of their estate vineyards with an average age of 29 years; de Brye, Zellerbach, Day, Ramos and Ambassador's 1953 vineyards. This bottling is fermented in a mix of stainless steel (62%) and new French oak barrel (38%), the later goes through lee stirring for two months. Aged for a total of twelve months in neutral French oak with all barrel fermentation going through malolactic.
Medium to medium plus lemon yellow with a slight golden hue. Lovely Chardonnay nose with layers of stone, tree and tropical fruits followed by an interesting note of herbal tea like chamomile and honeysuckle. A touch of citrus zest and brioche. Some more mouthwatering acidity on this bottling from Hanzell (7/10) with a medium plus body. Rich palate with a touch of butter, citrus, honeysuckle and some white stone fruits. A nice creamy mouthfeel with a long, lingering finish. Drink till 2032. (93+)
$$$ - Tasted at the winery. Retail price is $78.00.
Second winery on day two in Sonoma was Hanzell Vineyards with Whitney. Third wine was the Hanzell Chardonnay, which is their flagship Chardonnay bottling. All the fruit comes from five of their estate vineyards with an average age of 29 years; de Brye, Zellerbach, Day, Ramos and Ambassador's 1953 vineyards. This bottling is fermented in a mix of stainless steel (62%) and new French oak barrel (38%), the later goes through lee stirring for two months. Aged for a total of twelve months in neutral French oak with all barrel fermentation going through malolactic.
Medium to medium plus lemon yellow with a slight golden hue. Lovely Chardonnay nose with layers of stone, tree and tropical fruits followed by an interesting note of herbal tea like chamomile and honeysuckle. A touch of citrus zest and brioche. Some more mouthwatering acidity on this bottling from Hanzell (7/10) with a medium plus body. Rich palate with a touch of butter, citrus, honeysuckle and some white stone fruits. A nice creamy mouthfeel with a long, lingering finish. Drink till 2032. (93+)
$$$ - Tasted at the winery. Retail price is $78.00.
Ripe apples. Sharp. Appropriate buttery end.
Ripe apples. Sharp. Appropriate buttery end.
Jun 5th, 2021Simply a delight to enjoy. Just the right balance of oak, fruit, acidity, and crispness. Pure joy in a bottle. Thank you, Alex.
Simply a delight to enjoy. Just the right balance of oak, fruit, acidity, and crispness. Pure joy in a bottle. Thank you, Alex.
Apr 27th, 2021
Sonoma chard. Very nice, round, salty, buttery, zest finish. A nice follow-up to omakase at Sushi Zo.
Sonoma chard. Very nice, round, salty, buttery, zest finish. A nice follow-up to omakase at Sushi Zo.
Apr 24th, 2021
2015 - Old world bouquet, little barnyard (May have been corked); citrus acidic opening more like a Sauvignon Blanc; did not match other reviews; would not buy again.
2015 - Old world bouquet, little barnyard (May have been corked); citrus acidic opening more like a Sauvignon Blanc; did not match other reviews; would not buy again.
Jan 1st, 2021Complex notes with honeysuckle and camomile plus pear, melon, green apple and kumquat. Creamy yet not buttery with citrus bites and strong and long finish. 25% French oak with ML, 75% neutral and not ML’d.
Complex notes with honeysuckle and camomile plus pear, melon, green apple and kumquat. Creamy yet not buttery with citrus bites and strong and long finish. 25% French oak with ML, 75% neutral and not ML’d.
Sep 22nd, 2018
Bob had this 2 years ago
Bob had this 2 years ago
Oct 5th, 2022