Varietal: 100% Chardonnay 

Appellation: Russian River Valley 

Sensory Notes: Ritchie Vineyard is rightfully considered one of California’s Grand Cru-caliber vineyards, and this wine shows why. Aromas of nectarine and wild flowers leap from the glass, along with hints of Meyer lemon, apple cider and limestone. This dazzling complexity is echoed on the palate, where layers of peach, lemon curd, vanilla, spice and citrus flow to a long, velvety finish.

Winemaking Notes: The 2016 Ritchie Vineyard grapes were picked before sunrise on September 6th and September 15th. After being hand-sorted, the grapes were whole-cluster pressed off the skins. The hard press was separated, allowing for only free run juice to be used in this wine. The juice was cold-settled for 24 hours before being racked off the heavy lees into French oak barrels, 40% of which were new. Fermentation took approximately three months, with bâtonnage occurring once per day during primary fermentation, then once per week during secondary fermentation. The wine was aged for an additional nine months in barrel before being blended for bottling.