2007 Sonoma County Chardonnay
Sonoma County Selection
 

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The Vineyards:

Sonoma County is regarded as the best region in California for Chardonnay! We are fortunate to source grapes from several sub-appellations of Sonoma County, principally from Carneros, Russian River , Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valleys. The combination of fruit from the various sub-appellations, as well as the diversity of clones and micro-climates allows us make a consistently high quality Chardonnay.

The Vintage:

2007 started off with delayed budbreak with cool, wet weather during May. However, set was dry and stable in late May ensuring a good crop size. Summer continued mild with veraison starting in late July. Each vineyard was picked and held separately from September 5th to October 3rd, 2007 . The normal bud break and harvest created a rich, full bodied Chardonnay with abundant varietal character.

Winemaking:
 We hand-picked and whole cluster pressed the grapes in order to express more Chardonnay fruit flavors. 63% of the juice was racked into barrels for barrel fermentation after cold settling. Select yeast strains, including indigenous strains, were utilized, depending on the vineyard. 77% of the wine was barrel aged for seven months in new and one year old French, American and Hungarian oak barrels. We stirred the lees frequently in May and June to add more texture and richness. The lots from warmer sub-appellations (37%) were tank fermented cold, prevented from going thru Malo-Lactic fermentation and aged on light lees. All barrel lots were racked out and lightly fined prior to bottling, which occurred in July, 2008.

Winemaker's Notes::

Light gold color. The wine has peach, pear, yellow apple and malted vanilla aromas. The flavor is medium to full bodied with yellow apple and tropical fruits with crème brulee oak flavors. The finish is soft with lingering, yeasty and wood flavors from the barrel fermentation. This is a richer, more full bodied vintage that has abundant Chardonnay fruit flavors and varietal character.

 

 
Mark R. Lyon, Winemaker
Technical Data
Appellation: Sonoma County Composition: 97% Chardonnay; 3% Roussanne
Cooperage:

77% was barrel aged for seven months in new and one year old French, American and Hungarian oak barrels.

 Alcohol: 13.5%
TA: .50 g/100ml pH: 3.47
Bottling Date: July 2008 Release Date: October 2008
 

Past Vintages:
   

Awards and Acclaim:

2006 VINTAGE:

Double Gold from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Double Gold and Best of Class from the Los Angeles Wine & Spirits Competition

Gold from the San Francisco International Wine Competition

Gold from the Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition

5 Stars and By the Glass Selection from Restaurant Wine: " Exceptional. Supple, full, moderately complex in flavor, and quite rich for the price. A wine with a long finish, tasting of vanilla, roasted nut, pear, pineapple, and oak."

88 Points and One Puff from Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine: "This nicely balanced and carefully crafted wine conveys neither head-turning richness nor compelling complexity, but it gets it right in terms of constant, very well-defined varietal fruit and is a complete and genuinely appealing drink. Its polished on the palate and brightened by a welcome bit of fruity acidity and it is nothing short of an out and out bargain at the price.

87 Points and Daily Wine Pick from Wine Spectator: "Ripe, with a honeyed edge to the mineral, sage and herbal notes. Complex, if young and in need of bottle time. Drink now through 2009." -James Laube

87 Points and Best Buyfrom Wine & Spirits : " Baked pear and buttermilk flavors follow the California char don nay standard, yet this is light enough to feel balanced by an orange zest edge of acidity. For popcorn shrimp"

Charles Olken Featured Wine: "Is there a winery anywhere in California that succeeds more consistently with wines priced in the mid-teens than Sebastiani? If there is, I have not found it. This delightfully tasty, well-fruited wine has lots of youthful energy and comes with the polish and suppleness one might expect of a much more expensive wine. It will be a great partner to most fowl dishes and to fleshy fishes that are not pushed by strong seasonings like teriyaki."

2005 VINTAGE:

89 Points and Best Value Selection from The Wine News: "Viscous gold hue.  Tropical fruit aromas with pineapple and mango highlights.  Supple, oily texture with tasty apple and preach flavors.  Lengthy, ready-to-drink finish with a mix of butterscotch, honey and nutmeg "

88 Points and Best Buy from Wine Enthusiast : "This is a really nice Chardonnay. Sebastiani knows how to make a balanced varietal wine, and this clean, ripe Chardonnay completely satisfies, with fruity flavors and a rich balance of creamy oak, coastal acidity and spicy oak. Best Buy."

86 Points and Smart Buy from Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine: "It may not be among the richer Chardonnays around, nor is it a wine of real complexity, but this nicely made offering is solidly keyed on well-defined fruit and gets a helping hand from a bit of sweet oak. It is rounded in feel, pleasantly balanced and very accessible now, and, if wanting just a little more depth to win enthusiastic endorsement, it is a noteworthy value all the same. GOOD VALUE"

2004 VINTAGE:

89 Points and Best Buy from Wine Enthusiast: "Yummy Chard, complex and delicious. Offers lots of ripe, rich peach and pineapple custard flavors, sweet, toasty oak and a buttery texture. Nice, perky acids keep things lively and clean."

86 Points and Top Value from The Wine Spectator: "Pure delicious fruit is on center stage with fleshy pear, green apple, spice and citrus. Medium-bodied with a cleansing aftertaste. Drink now."

2002 VINTAGE:

88 Points--Smart Buy and Top Value from The Wine Spectator: "Ripe and spicy, with pear, tangerine and nectarine flavors and rich, smoky-toasty oak. Long, luxurious finish."

 
 

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