Sonoma County

Light

Natural Cork

White

The current release of Chardonnay from Garden Creek proprietors Karin and Justin Warnelius-Miller is in 2019, while most in the valley are releasing their 2021s and 2022s. Karen says the idea is to ensure the wines are integrated, seamless, and unctuous before they reach the consumer. She describes their acid profile as sculpted and lifted, which she says they achieve through lees stirring. Mostly barrel fermented with a tiny amount of concrete fermentation, then aged for 11 months in French barriques (8% new), bottled, and cellared at the winery for 36 months before release. They rack off the gross lees about halfway into barrel ageing. And given their cellar remains at 54 degrees, 'it helps with clarification,' says Justin. Fermented with two Montrachet yeasts and opened one hour before I tasted. Lemon gold with emerald flecks. Such an elegant, refined nose with bright and refreshing guava, citrus peel, apricot skin, anise, fennel, and straw. It has a surprising depth and richness that builds on the mid-palate and stays there with a warming sensation fueled by warm apricots and crisp ripe pear and yellow apple notes through the long, stony mineral finish. The entire Garden Creek Ranch is 100 acres, of which 72 acres are planted to vineyard land. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Tannat, Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc are all grown on the property. The Rhône varietie are sold. They have 22 acres of Chardonnay and 11 different clones planted on alluvium and heavy clay soils, with many volcanic soils mixed in. They harvest less than 10% of their grapes for their Garden Creek labels and sell the rest to other notable producers in the AVA.

Chardonnay

Garden Creek Vineyards, Chardonnay, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley, California, USA, 2019

GardenCreek_Chardonnay_2012.jpg

The current release of Chardonnay from Garden Creek proprietors Karin and Justin Warnelius-Miller is in 2019, while most in the 

Garden Creek Vineyards, Chardonnay, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA 2019

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