It is hard to know where to start with a vintage this good! I have been so infatuated with the 2018s for the past few months, that when I began to turn my attention back to the 2019s for the first time a few weeks ago, I was shocked by how well they have settled in since bottling.

Comparing two excellent vintages like 2018 and 2019 is extremely gratifying. I think of both as relatively cool vintages: they have become part of a post-drought block of years that have some commonalities. If the period of 2012 through 2017 can be considered the drought years, we can see a trend in those wines of ever-increasing concentration and power. Then beginning with the 2018 vintage, we saw a dramatic shift. Normal rainfall levels have returned to the Russian River Valley over the past several growing seasons, and the summers have been more moderate culminating two mild growing season in 2018 - 2019. 2019 was had a slightly warmer summer than 2018 - but 2018 was probably the coldest summer we have had in decades.

This climatic change is reflected perfectly in the wines. 2018 is a vintage of sublime, ethereal wines – so nuanced and airy on the palate yet packed with layers of flavor and aroma. 2019 is in the same vein – elegant and poised – but with the intensity turned up a notch. The result is a spectrum of wines with incredible balance and aging potential.

The 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay is a blend of barrels from five Russian River Valley vineyards: Flora Marie, El Diablo, Ritchie, Banfield, and our Westside Road Estate. It’s always an exceptional introduction to the character of Russian River Valley Chardonnay from the vintage. With contributions from some of the finest Chardonnay vineyards in the appellation and made with slightly less new oak than our vineyard designates, this cuvée offers the highest level of early drinkability in our portfolio while maintaining an extraordinary degree of quality.

2019 follows in the footsteps of 2018 as a relatively cool vintage, evidenced in the glass by a lively and mouth-watering acid profile. Notes of lemon curd, melon, and white flowers are joined by a faint note of warm baking spice and caramelized sugar.