2017 Searby Vineyard Chardonnay
Medium-to-full bodied, yet crisp and dry, crafted from heritage vines planted in 1972. Notes of Bartlett pear, honeysuckle, and lemon zest.
James MacPhail's Notes
Searby is one of those vineyards that's got everything. It is one of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in the Russian River, and when Warren Dutton first planted it in 1972, that was unheard of - he was pushing the envelope too far. But out in the vineyard today, the vines are still thriving, it's dry-farmed, very old-school, and makes a wine that is really special. When you drink this wine, you know that you're drinking something different.
Winemaker
- Aging
- 16 months in 100% French Oak (22% new)
- Appellation
- Russian River Valley
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
Tasting Notes
On the nose, Bartlett pear, stone fruits, white flowers, lemon zest, and honeysuckle. On the palate, Bartlett pear, Meyer lemon, white flowers, and crisp Granny Smith apple with a hint of sea spray.
Production Notes
Hand-picked fruit from the 45-year-old Searby Vineyard was barrel-fermented with native yeasts followed by 100% malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged sur lie for 16 months in French oak before aging in bottle for two years prior to release.
Searby Vineyard
Originally planted in 1972 by industry pioneer Warren Dutton, Searby Vineyard is home to some of Sonoma County’s oldest and most coveted Chardonnay vines. These nearly 50-year-old vines in the Green Valley sub-region of the Russian River Valley AVA are dry-farmed and head-trained, producing small lots of intensely aromatic Chardonnay.
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