2021 River Road Ranch Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
Three generations farming premium wine grapes across five estate ranches for over four decades, the Trione family produce small lot, hand-crafted wines showcasing the best fruit from our vineyards.
Tasting Notes
This Chardonnay releases an enticing bouquet of Granny Smith apple, panna cotta and bright citrus blossom. The palate delights with a perfect balance of creaminess, bright acidity and toast boasting exotic flavors of dried persimmon and fresh baked Challah.
Retail: $38
Vineyard
The River Road Ranch vineyard is located within the Russian River Valley AVA. The soil composition is Cortina, characterized as deep, well-draining soil composed mainly of gravel/sandy loam. This fast-draining soil leads to stressed vines that focus their energy on the grapes rather than leafy growth, resulting in more intensity and concentration. Certified Sustainable in 2017 (CCSW)
38°29’18.9″N 122°49’00.5″W
Vintage
The season started out cool then became mild with very few heat spikes. The weeks were consistently warm causing many varietals to ripen at the same time. The crop load across all varieties was slightly lighter than average which hastened ripening in all Sonoma County appellations. For most, it was a welcome trend back to normalcy. Trione’s harvest began the last week in August and finished the first week in October; six weeks in total. The fruit quality was exceptional with great flavor.
Winemaking
Our Chardonnay fruit comes from two distinct blocks on our Russian River Ranch. Hand-harvested at night, the grapes are quickly and gently pressed on arrival at the winery. The juice is allowed to settle overnight and then transferred to French oak barrels for fermentation. This stage in barrel is followed by weekly bâtonnage, or lees stirring, to help extract the rich and creamy texture this wine showcases.
Oak: 100% French | Aging: 12 months
