2021 Russian River Chardonnay

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay

Appellation: 100% Russian River Valley

pH: 3.56

TA: 6.8

Oak: 20% new French oak

Every year, when crafting the VML Appellation Chardonnay, our goal is to select a fairly eclectic, high quality group of vineyards that do justice in the representation of Russian River Valley Chardonnay, one of the more special places on the planet to grow Chardonnay grapes.  The 2021 is no exception.  We selected four vineyards, seven diverse blocks, three different clones, and a variety of different yeasts to create a complex, structured, and quite elegant wine.

Aromatics of baked bread, green apple, burnt vanilla, almond, and key lime are all present. The pallet is soft and silky; noticeably more elegant than previous vintages.   This wine’s ability to seamlessly skate across the mid- palate while also pushing slightly horizontal creates a lovely illustration of both its playfulness and balance.  The finish is soft acid, oak inspired vanilla, and sweet and zingy fruit.