Gary Farrell Winery
Russian River Selection Chardonnay 2017
Russian River Valley, California
The Russian River Selection bottlings are quintessential Russian River Valley wines blended from some of the winery’s top vineyard sources. They are beautiful expressions of their varietal type and of the appellation’s unique terroir, each blend capturing the richness, purity and elegance that are Gary Farrell Winery’s trademarks. This layered and complex Chardonnay brings together fruit from several of our favorite Russian River Valley vineyard sites.
VINEYARD
The Russian River Selection bottlings are quintessential Russian River Valley wines blended from some of the winery’s top vineyard sources. They are beautiful expressions of their varietal type and of the appellation’s unique terroir, each blend capturing the richness, purity and elegance that are Gary Farrell Winery’s trademarks. This layered and complex Chardonnay brings together fruit from several of our favorite Russian River Valley vineyard sites. Anchored by the naturally balanced character of Westside Farms and intriguing floral and stone fruit notes from Bacigalupi Vineyard, the wine’s great concentration and structure derive from the nearby Rochioli and Allen vineyards. Olivet Lane Vineyard, featuring the Wente clone, adds refreshing citrus tones and excellent acidity.
WINEMAKING
The grapes were harvested in the cool morning hours at ~21-23° Brix. A quick pass was made through our rows a few days prior to harvest in order to drop fruit that didn’t express the optimal flavor concentration. As anticipated, the grapes that were delivered to the winery were packed with delicious, vibrant, varietally expressive characteristics. After a very careful hand-sorting, we combined all the fruit in the press, and used a gentle program to extract only the most desirable solids and phenolics. The resulting juice was left in tank to cold-settle overnight before transferring to 35% new and 65% one to three-year-old neutral French oak barrels and puncheons for fermentation and aging, where it remained for 9 months on its primary lees until it was time to bottle in June. The wines were racked off the primary lees only once, just before bottling.
VINTAGE
Harvest began on August 21st, the day of the total eclipse, 11 days later than the year before, so hang-time was in keeping with historical averages, but it commenced in a flash. Seven percent of grapes came in the first week, followed by 53% the second week during a severe heat wave. The remainder of harvest after Labor Day seemed to steady a bit as the weather cooled down slightly. The final fruit of the season came in on the last day of summer and the last day of sorting was September 22nd. We find it curious that we started on the day of the total eclipse and wrapped up with our last day of sorting on the Autumn Equinox. Planning ahead and pre-scheduling picks before the heat wave, in addition to overnight refrigeration and overall team efficiency smoothed over a lot of this rapid harvest’s bumps. Thanks to our grower partners and our own hard work, the flavor and ripeness of the wines is excellent. To our pleasant surprise, ~95% of the grapes came in on target, between 22-24.5 Brix, which is miraculous given the extreme conditions. This is definitely an indication of our overwhelming dedication to quality, but it is also a great reward for the hard work and long hours that went into making the 2017 vintage wines.
TASTING NOTE
It is a true testament to thoughtful winemaking that even in such a warm vintage, this wine shines as brightly as the acidity laced within. It begins with intense aromatics of fresh cut lilies, chive blossoms, zesty lemons, limes and pithy white grapefruit. The abundant citrus on the nose persists on the palate as you are greeted with invigorating notes of freshly squeezed lemon juice, jasmine green tea and spicy wasabi arugula. This all comes together seamlessly on a silky palate with delicate undertones of crème fraîche and Marzipan.
Color
White
Grape Varieties
Chardonnay
Appellation
Russian River Valley, California
Alcohol
13.7%
Reviews
"Textured and mineral-driven"
Wine Enthusiast (Editor's Choice ) - January 16, 2020 "This is a wonderfully tart, textured and mineral-driven white from multiple sites across the appellation. Crisp apple and pear wrap around a core of lemon, nutmeg and lemongrass, finishing on a bite of wet stone."
"Richly spiced"
Wine Spectator - January 16, 2020 "Richly spiced with a voluptuous mix of apple pastry, dried apricot and lemon-curd flavors that are well-structured. Citrus rind and dried sage on the finish."
More on Gary Farrell Winery Russian River Selection Chardonnay 2017
Winemaker Theresa Heredia on the 2017 Russian River Selection Chardonnay
April 13, 2020 - Gary Farrell winemaker Theresa Heredia gives her tasting notes on the 2017 Russian River Selection Chardonnay.
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir
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Named for its previous owners, the 100-acre Hallberg Vineyard is today owned and managed by wine industry veterans including vineyard manager Kirk Lokka. Nestled in the Green Valley sub-appellation, the site enjoys refreshing daytime breezes and cool nighttime temperatures. The strong marine influence means less severe daily temperature shifts so the vines never completely shut down, producing fruit with deep, dark color, great structure, silky tannins, darker fruit flavors and earthy characteristics. This blend is a composition of many of the best blocks on this cool, foggy vineyard site, which include clones 667, 777, 828, Pommard and a mysterious “suitcase” selection.
Olivet Lane Chardonnay
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Pellegrini’s Olivet Lane Vineyard was planted in 1975 to Wente selection on AXR rootstock. The vineyard sits on 65 acres of sloping bench land in the Santa Rosa Plain, in between the warmer Westside Road region and the cooler Green Valley,where warm summer days are moderated by cool breezes and chilly evening temperatures. The combination of low temperatures, regular fog intrusion and well drained loam, clay soils create an excellent environment for growing Chardonnay that develop cool-climate characteristics and impeccable acid at fairly low sugars.The wines from this vineyard simultaneously express power and finesse, and they do so with tremendous balance.
Russian River Selection Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley, California
The Russian River Selection bottlings are quintessential Russian River Valley wines blended from some of the region’s top vineyards, taking advantage of varied climates and unique site characteristics. Undoubtedly showcasing a beautiful expression of the varietal and of the appellation’s unique terroir, this Pinot Noir blend captures the richness, purity and elegance that are Gary Farrell Winery’s trademarks.