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Joseph Swan Vineyards 2015 Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Joseph Swan Vineyards 2015 Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay

By Joseph Swan!!!
Ritchie Chard Bargain
dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
By Joseph Swan!!!
Ritchie Chard Bargain

Mission Codename Who needs a forklift

If you did not load up on this a while ago, here’s your chance to do so. This reminds us of the Hanzell Chardonnay blowout that went down here a couple of months ago. It was a pretty sight but our servers kept crashing. We’re better prepared for it today.

Sometimes smaller is better. Like small production wine, made six barrels at a time from a small family and a small vineyard.

At a relatively small price - 30% off the normal $55 tag! This is the ultimate in small, family run, artisanal Chardonnay that rivals many cult favorites while remaining honestly priced.

Joseph Swan. Founder of a quintessential Russian River institution that rests alongside visionaries like Rochioli, Dehlinger, Williams Selyem. The man even has a CLONE in his namesake! Joe started his journey alongside André Tchelistcheff, the founding father of fine California wine. He passed the baton to son-in-law Rod Berglund, who stuck with the course: growing, and sourcing the absolute best fruit possible, allowing nature to shine through in the smallest of lots.

A Los Angeles Times memorial puts it best “Swan never wanted to make more than 2,000 cases a year, even though demand rose around the country. ‘He never wanted to grow too big,’ said Berglund, ‘and we used to fight about the fact he had no forklift.’ Berglund, who was a winemaker for La Crema Viñera winery from 1979 through 1984, said the lack of a forklift meant that some tasks, such as moving barrels of wine, became burdensome and time-consuming. ‘But Joe always said that if he got a forklift, that would mean he’d gotten too big.’ To this day, the winery has no forklift.”

Turning our attention to this wine. Ritchie. THE archetype for cool-climate Russian River Chard-haven. And a common denominator among the greatest names in Chardonnay - Aubert, Bevan, DuMOL, Paul Hobbs, Ramey. That’s $60-200+ a bottle territory, and this vineyard commands it. So a $38 Ritchie is unheard of. “A place that winemakers revere as a site of rare intensity and complexity” writes Wine Enthusiast - designating it one of “California’s Grand Cru Chardonnay Vineyards.”

Evidently so. Enticing aromatics of lemon pith, lavender crème brûlée, apricots, ripe fig, and honeysuckle mingle with touches of honeydew and freshly grated nutmeg. The mouthfeel is intensely rich while at the same time silky and creamy. Fascinating complexity continues in this very elegant, complete, and persistent Chardonnay, just starting its prime drinking zone. Crab, be it Snow, Stone, or the Dungeness kind, dipped in drawn butter, and a chilled bottle of this is stuff that dreams are made of.

While this remains the highest-rated Joseph Swan ever by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate no reviews exist on the 2015. Not that a wine of this caliber needs one.

You’re looking at a fraction of the 6 barrels made and probably not for long!

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Tasting Profile Tasting Profile

dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
Joseph Swan Vineyards 2015 Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay 750ml Wine Label
Look

Brilliant hay gold with streaks of yellow corn and swirls of amber honey

Smell

Enticing aromatics of lemon pith, lavender crème brûlée, apricots, ripe fig, and honeysuckle

Taste

Intensely rich while at the same time silky and creamy, with honeydew and freshly grated nutmeg

Finish

Perplexing complexity continues long, very elegant, complete, persistent, just starting its prime

Pairing

Crab, be it Snow, Stone, or the Dungeness kind, dipped in drawn butter, and a chilled bottle of this

What the Winery Says 2015 Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Joseph Swan Vineyards
Joseph Swan Vineyards
Winemaker
Rod Berglund
Varietal
100% Chardonnay
Vintage
2015
Appellation
Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Vineyard
Ritchie VIneyard
Alcohol
14.1%
Vine age
Planted in 1972
Soils
Sandy Goldridge loam
Aging
10 months
Barrels
30% new French oak
Production
6 barrels made

About the Winery Joseph Swan Vineyards

Joseph Swan Vineyards Winemaker Rod Berglund
Joseph Swan Vineyards Winemaker Rod Berglund
Joseph Swan Vineyards 2015 Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Oct 10, 2021 at 11:59 pm
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Joseph Swan Vineyards 2015 Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Oct 10, 2021 at 11:59 pm
Register to get notified when this wine is back in stock:
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