Sanglier Cellars 2019 River Tusque Chardonnay

FARMING

Our vineyards are chosen for very specific reasons. First, the proper grape varietal must be planted where the climatic conditions promote ripeness, but not planted on a site that allows ripening too easily. Secondly, the soil conditions must promote drainage and provide balanced nutrition. Our vineyards are farmed sustainably. We are able to influence grape quality in many ways, including vine architecture, arranging or removing leaves to allow the desired amount of sunlight to reach the clusters, adding nutrition or irrigation, and managing the yield for the best levels of flavor, tannins and acidity.

VINEYARDS: Spring Hills and Henry David

We began farming Henry David  in 2005 and implemented an intense farming program to grow the best grapes possible for this Bennett Valley site. New cover crops, annual composting, and some replanting resulted in a chardonnay vineyard unrivaled in Bennett Valley. Gently rolling hills, cobbly loam soils, and brisk night time temperatures are the perfect home for these grapes. Spring Hills lies  in the eastern edge of the Russian River Valley about a half mile from our house. Summer days are a monotony of beauty. Cold mornings, sometimes crisp and clear, other times fog shrouded. Afternoons are warm, breezy and sunny. The Pacific Ocean rules the weather and the day. We live here for a reason!

WINEMAKING

Hand-sorted and whole cluster pressed,  we ferment in the barrel and age on the lees. Doing the hard work in the vineyards allows us to take a more natural approach with the winemaking. We stir the barrels minimally for texture as needed, otherwise we leave the barrels alone. Our barrels are all French and they are older, no new oak here! This wine is unfiltered and unfined.

THE WINE

Sometimes when I sit down to taste and write notes, I take a sip and immediately sense the fruit and the aromas. I can start writing descriptors immediately. This is not that wine. But what did strike me intensely and immediately was a beautiful mouth filling textural component of a thoroughly delicious wine. Melissa and I lingered over this wine for an hour, tasting every few minutes. I told her how I got the sensation of fresh laundry hanging on the clothesline when we were kids.  Then she chimed in with “Quince” and I couldn’t agree more. Hints of Apple, Pear and Citrus. An absolute beauty with a dusting of lemon rind on the finish. 

James Glenn Alexander,  Founding Farmer and Winemaker

APPELLATION Sonoma County

VINEYARDS Henry David, Spring Hills

100% Chardonnay Aged 16 Months in Nuetral French Oak

Sur Lies (on the Lees). 100% Malolactic Fermentation

AGING

16 months neutral French Oak

On lees, ML complete

132 CASES PRODUCED

ALCOHOL/PH/TA

13.9%/ 3.55/ 6.5 g/L

RETAIL PRICE

$30