2016 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay 

Appellation: Russian River Valley

Sensory Notes: This dazzling Chardonnay displays beautiful bright citrus and stone fruit aromas, as well as layers of wildflowers, apricot and spice. On the round, silky palate, flavors of pineapple, Golden apple, nectarine and fresh-churned butter mingle with hints of marshmallow and Marcona almond, gliding to a long, rich finish.

Winemaking Notes:  An early budbreak, followed by a long growing season and average overall yields, produced a lovely crop resulting in well-balanced and elegant wines. The grapes for this wine were harvest by hand a night in late September and early October. They were then hand-sorted, whole-cluster pressed and cold-settled for 24 hours. Both the Ritchie and Big River Ranch wines were barreled down and fermented in 100% French oak with lees stirring daily during primary fermentation.