Gold
2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
From the clay soils and foggy nights of the mid-Russian River Valley comes Virginia Dare Russian River Valley Chardonnay, a creamy Chardonnay from the best heritage growing region in America. Barrel fermented and aged with a careful selection of wood, our 2016 Chardonnay offers a gorgeous nose of green apples, creamy lemon, toasted oak, and brioche. Slightly leaner than last year’s rendition, the palate is creamy with sweet flavors of pineapple and nectarine up front, which are made more intriguing by mineral notes and a hint of honeycomb that emerges on the finish.
YEAR
2016
WINEMAKER
Sandy Walheim
BLEND
100% Chardonnay
ALCOHOL
13.9%
BARREL REGIMEN
1oo% barrel fermented, 30% new oak, 10 months aging in French and European oak