Alder Springs Vineyard Chardonnay 2022
Mendocino County
The crew at Alder knows us well and when they offered this massale block of Chardonnay, we didn’t hesitate to accept. With over 20 different Chardonnay clones planted on a steep hillside in the Lower Vineyard at Alder, the wine is picked based on flavor instead of chemistry as its nearly impossible to sample accurately. We embrace the chaos! Taking over a year to complete fermentation in one-third new oak puncheons, the wine was then moved to stainless steel for the final six months of its 18 month elevage. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
The aromas are unapologetically what we’ve come to expect from this varietal we love so much. It is a seductive and enticing wine with hints of orchard and stone fruits in perfect harmony, followed by subtle notes of wet sand toasted hazelnuts. As it warms up in the glass it shows some warm and complex notes of creamy oak followed by bright citrus zest. On the palate, the seductive nature of this wine is fully revealed with an irresistible and decadent melange of summer fruits, like ripe peaches, nectarines, and juicy naval oranges.
| Winemaker | Joseph Ryan | |
| Appellation | Mendocino County | |
| Vineyard | Alder Springs Vineyard | |
| Alcohol | 11.5% | |
| Production | 65 cases |