Located in the heart of the Russian River Valley, this wine comes from one of the oldest blocks of the vineyard. 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 of wineries on the other end of the spectrum. Leads to some very diverse wines. We fall somewhere in the middle.

This old-vine Dijon clone (shot Wente) Chardonnay was pressed immediately after harvesting and settled in tank for sediment to fall out by gravity overnight. Then, the juice was fermented in 30% new French oak barrels, the remainder in neutral French oak barrels, and aged sur lies with battonage (lees stirring) once a month. Full malolactic fermentation took place naturally. The wine was aged 10 months in barrel before bottling.

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.