Our Estate vineyard, with vines planted in 1969 and a few years later, has always produced very singular wines. Some, such as the 1975 and 1977, are not only alive but still beautiful wines. In many years, however, the wines were awkward and clumsy in their youth. When Joe Swan did his annual wine evaluation dinners, he would often proclaim, upon tasting the most current wine, that it was time to rip out the chardonnay. However, when he tasted the prior years wine he would decide that on second thought, the wine was too good to do that! Things haven't changed much in the ensuing years. A year ago I tasted the wine and thought that it didn't have a future. It was closed and awkeard. This month though, tasting an open bottle over several days, I was reminded how special these vines truly are, producing in good years just over 1 barrel of incredibly complex and unique wine. Perhaps it is the vines age, the small berried, small clustered selection of chardonnay, the incredibly long time between fruit set and harvest or maybe just the spot of ground on which they are planted, but whatever the reason I have never encountered fruit quite like this.

Tasting notes:

At first sniff the aroma might be mistaken for oxidation. Grilled almonds, creme brûlee, and maybe reisling like petrol notes come to mind, but the color, straw with a hint of green, belies that notion. Along with these aromas there is an abundance of rich fruit, more stone fruit than the typical tropical or apple aromas you might expect. In the mouth it is very rich and powerful but with a mouthwatering edge of acidity. I think that this wine is magical but if you are looking for main-stream chardonnay sameness, this might not by your wine.

DNA vineyard is one of the four contiguous vineyards here in Trenton that we source pinot noir from (Trenton Estate, Trenton View, and Solas being the others). All exhibit the characteristics of the Laguna Ridge Neighborhood in their lush middle richness, great acidity, dark red fruit and elements of oriental spice, but each has their own unique personality.

Tasting notes:

Dark red cherries, cardamom, rose petal and fresh forest floor. It is a bit plush, with the acidity being less predominate than its neighbors. A soft yet long finish is balanced by a bit of tannin. It is drinking very well now but should continue to drink well for the next 3-5 years.

The grapes that make this wine comes from one of the older blocks in this vineyard. The original plantings were 100% barrel fermented in French oak, aged sur lies with battonage (lees stirring) once a month. Full malolactic fermentation took place. The wine was aged 10 months in Barrel.

The vineyard is highly coveted with numerous winemakers sourcing from here. Everyone gets their own dedicated row (or half as the case may be). However, not all Ritchie Vineyard wines are created equal. Throw in personal preferences with at least one winery picking 2 weeks ahead of everyone else and a couple wineries on the other end of the spectrum. Leads to some very diverse wines. We fall somewhere in the middle.

Bright lemon yellow color. Ripe pear with lemon custard and a hint of mango. Classic Ritchie profile and aromatics are present. Very rich, very full opulence balanced by good acidity. Long, full fruit.

Planted in the mid-1990's, this low yielding vineyard has always produced wines on the wild side. However, with increasing vine age, the wines have begun to tame down a bit. Although theyhave lost none of their power, they have just taken on a bit of grace.

Tasting Notes:

Dark. Very dark. Dense but vibrant. Plums, saddle leather, bacon, lavender. Long. These are my first impressions. Sometimes first impressions are the best!

When relying on feral (native) yeasts for fermentation of chardonnay, you occasionally have barrels that are slow to complete. Such was the case in 2016. As long as there are viable yeast present and actually fermentation taking place (albeit slowly) we prefer to let nature take its course. Some barrels in 2016 really tested our resolve, taking nearly two years to complete their fermentation. In the end, we decided to create a small lot blend, using some of the Ritchie, Hawk Hill and our Trenton Estate wines The long aging on the lees had resulted in yeast autolysis, the same process that gives some champagnes their creamy bread dough notes, resulting in wines that were more about process than place .

Tasting notes:

Wonderfully rich and complex. The rich fruit of each of the three vineyards is there but the forward fruit has been modified and complimented with a wonderful, mouth filling impression of flaky pastry dough, sort of like a freshly baked apple and pear tart. The balancing acidity keeps everything in balance. This wine reminds me of a wine made by Matanzas Creek Winery back in the 80's. They called it Journey, in reference to the long time it took from grape to bottle and the many changes it made along the way, from fresh and fruity to a dark place before it came out the other side as a totally different wine. Sadly, I was only able to taste it once as it sold out instantly, but I always felt that it would continue to evolve much like a grand marque champagne. I have no idea if I was correct but I am going to following this one with keen interest.