 |
 |
 |
Making Sense of the Russian River Valley ChardonnayThe Russian River Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) subregions create wines with subtle nuances that, according to local winemakers, make a world of difference. Since the Russian River Valley AVA was established in 1983, local winemakers and farmers have realized that Russian River Valley wines possess different nuances depending on where the grapes were grown. Chardonnay grown in the north near Healdsburg was understood to be different from that grown near Fulton or Occidental. Chardonnay made from grapes grown near Freestone, Forestville, Fulton or Healdsburg were also understood to express themselves differently based on vineyard location. Sensory characteristics such as aroma, flavor and structure were cited as being affected. Traditionally, these distinctive characteristics were associated with historically recognized Russian River Valley neighborhoods, such as the Middle Reach, Laguna Ridge, Santa Rosa Plain, Green Valley and Sebastopol Hills. But, were the distinctions really pronounced, or even there at all or just part of the perceived lore of our historic Russian River Valley AVA? Moreover, as Chardonnay plantings in the Russian River Valley have expanded to areas not previously planted, do the historical views hold? A highly regarded community of winegrowers and winemakers study what the region has to offer and share their findings with the wine-drinking community openly and substantively. Winemakers and growers from across the Russian River Valley are recognized experts capable of distinguishing between characteristics derived from the fruit and characteristics derived from winemaking techniques. Their efforts will focus on traits that consumers can identify in the glass and will avoid categorizations like “favorite” or “best.” They speak as one AVA now and will continue to do so and their neighborhoods will be exactly that – smaller communities with interesting and individual characteristics in the highly regarded Russian River Valley AVA. With approximately 16,000 acres of grapes, the Russian River Valley is comprised of many small vineyards. It’s been an American Viticulture Area (AVA) since 1983, with expansions in 2005 and 2011. Are the nuances imparted by the various subregions recognizable? Most of the local winemakers think so. At the most basic level, we all know winemakers and people who love Russian River Valley think they recognize differences in wines from among the different sites. Using Chardonnay from the 2015 and 2016 vintages, they are trying to ascertain if ‘specific,’ consistently identifiable sensory characteristics derive from grapes grown in the different neighborhoods. 
Middle ReachThe northernmost neighborhood, closest to Healdsburg and Dry Creek Valley, the Middle Reach is anchored by the wineries and vineyards along Westside Road. Among these are J. Rochioli Vineyard and Winery, Bacigalupi Vineyards, Flax Vineyard (of Merry Edwards Winery), Bucher Vineyard, Allen Vineyard and Williams Selyem Estate Vineyards. It’s also home to many of the appellation’s oldest plantings. The aromatics are less defined. Instead, the wines are about texture and length, and they tend to be broad and expansive on the palate. Acidity is not the defining feature. Fog brought in by the Russian River, which snakes through the heart of the neighborhood, keeps temperatures cool enough to grow Chardonnay. “Our proximity to the physical river is key,” says John Bucher, of Bucher Vineyard. “It’s a different water influence than the Laguna de Santa Rosa.” The fog is densest in summer, allowing his grapes to retain acidity at ripening. "It’s not exceptionally hot, the sugars don’t go up too much, but flavors have time to develop," says Bucher. Chardonnay characteristics from the Middle Reach tend to show citrus, apple, and orange blossom with a rich, full-bodied mouthfeel, minerality and freshness. Because of the warmer weather, the Chardonnays tend to be a bit richer and fuller on the palate. Key Facts
Santa Rosa PlainA large stretch of flatlands closer to the town of Santa Rosa on the east side of the Laguna de Santa Rosa, this neighborhood encompasses Olivet Road, and the larger Piner-Olivet area. It’s also where many of the Valley’s old plantings of Zinfandel—really mixed black varieties—still remain. Wineries from this area include Benovia, Martinelli Winery, Pellegrini Wine Company, DeLoach Vineyards and Inman Family Wines. Chardonnay is planted in clay and clay loam soils with a bit of cobblestone. Here, we see Chardonnay with a moderate acid backbone and the wines are accessible. A lot of the sites are planted with Martini clone, one of the oldest clones in the appellation, with large berries. The Santa Rosa Plain is an important estuary that collects water. Soils change almost every 100 yards and there are many different soil types. Chardonnay from the Santa Rosa Plain tend to show characteristics of apple, citrus, stone fruits, citrus blossom, light minerality, moderate acidity and balance. Key Facts
Laguna RidgeSouth of the Middle Reach near Forestville, a narrow strip blessed by deep, well-draining sandy Goldridge and Altamont soils, with some Franciscan at its northern end, is the Laguna Ridge, sometimes called the Golden Triangle. It overlooks the Laguna de Santa Rosa, where water pools during winter rains. Wineries in the Laguna Ridge include Merry Edwards, Dehlinger Winery, Lynmar Estate, Kistler and Joseph Swan Vineyards. Swan was the first to plant Pinot Noir in the Laguna Ridge after Prohibition on the advice of Andre Tchelistcheff, who referred to it as “middle-cool. The Chardonnays have a wonderful mouth feel and moderate acidity. The wines are not as rich as Middle Reach wines on the palate, and not as linear as those from the cooler Green Valley or Sebastopol Hills, but offer plenty of lushness. Chardonnays are characterized by their great mouth feel. North--south running hills separate Laguna Ridge from the Santa Rosa Plain. Chardonnays from this area show citrus-laced aromas of tangerine, sweet grapefruit and orange blossom. On the palate, rich stone fruit flavors apple and hints of crushed granite and oyster shells, finishing with balanced fresh acidity and unctuous flavors. Key Facts
Green ValleyThe only Russian River Valley neighborhood recognized as an AVA, Green Valley centers around the towns of Graton and Occidental, south of Forestville and north of Sebastopol. It’s populated with redwood and fir trees and underlain by Goldridge soils, with a generally higher elevation than surrounding areas. The heavily forested region is subject to consistent cooling winds from the Pacific Ocean. In the 1970s, the Dutton family was among the first to plant grapes widely here, followed soon after by Iron Horse Vineyards, which focused on sparkling. The region became an AVA in 1983. A slight tweak was made to its name in 2008, officially known now as Green Valley of Russian River Valley. Dumol’s estate vineyard, Hartford Court, Miramar Estate Vineyards & Winery and Dutton-Goldfield Winery are among the other pioneering producers here, but the area features more vineyards than wineries. The northern part of Green Valley is warmer than the south, which runs along the Bodega Highway. Many of the sites are sheltered by hills, with a balance between warmth and coolness. Sites at higher elevations are more affected by wind. Chardonnays from Green Valley are crisp in aromatics, with a luxurious mouthfeel, precise and clean, beautifully textured. There’s a firmness and tension to the wines, which often exhibit a twinge of acidity. Well-structured, they retain ample richness in the mouth and are beautifully textured. Cooler doesn’t always mean lighter and in Green Valley, the Chardonnays are complex yet elegant but the acids can be very high. There’s intensity and density with acidity. Key Facts
Sebastopol HillsThis neighborhood is roughly defined as the stretch of land running east to west around the town of Sebastopol, overlapping into Green Valley, in a larger region that some have begun to call the West Sonoma Coast. This is about as cool as it gets within the Russian River Valley’s official boundaries. The area also contains Freestone, where the Pacific Ocean winds wind their way up the Bodega Highway. The soils are classic Goldridge and the area was once beautiful apple country. Merry Edwards always says grapes always grow well where apples once grew. Littorai is here, as well as Merry Edwards, Joseph Phelps Freestone and the Balletto family. Producers from throughout the Russian River Valley and beyond are increasingly seeking out the area’s cooler-climate fruit, which at times is almost Chablis-like. These Chardonnays are very high in acidity showing flavors and aromas of lime, stone fruits, green apples, oyster shell, and a lively backbone. People said it was too cold there to plant in an area that used to be on the edge. The grapes definitely have a cool-area character, but are still very elegant and a high pH and high acidity at the same time, which is a strange combination—they’re usually in opposition to one another. As vineyards matured you get more body in the wines than was thought possible. Here some producers make picking decisions on clones rather than sugar levels. Key Facts
The OfferMiddle Reach: 2016 Matrix, Estate - $36 Santa Rosa Plains: 2016 La Follette, Lorenzo Vineyard - $50 Laguna Hills: 2016 Lynmar, Quail Hill - $56 Green Valley: 2015 DuMOL, Estate - $60 Sebastopol Hills: 2015 Freestone by Joseph Phelps - $48 *All wine sales are final.Enter code "CASE" to receive 10% off any 12 bottles - mix and match 
Jeff McCarthy, Wine Director |
