Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay Russian River Ranches 2024

Russian River Ranches is a cuvee crafted from several estate vineyards, each contributing its own distinct personality. The gentle elevation, moderate temperatures and fine sandy clay loam of Vine Hill make it ideal for growing Chardonnay. Owsley Ranch stands closest to the Pacific and is influenced by cooling fog pushing through Bloomfield Gap each day. The soils at Shiloh reflect an ancient seabed and volcanic ash that changed our topography eons ago, while Les Pierres is situated atop an old rock quarry that imparts a flinty mineral character. Vines rooted in clay at Kent Vineyard are cooled morning and night by fog, allowing for extended maturation, while the vines at the Cutrer Vineyard struggle through soils marked by the eruptions of Mt. St. Helena. Pretty aromas of jasmine and rose petal give way to tropical fruits like pineapple and mango. Roasted hazelnut joins nougat and almond butter, finishing with a touch of lime and lychee. Medium-weight and clean with a wonderful acid backbone, the wine expands in the glass, offering up grapefruit, lemon, pear and kumquat with subtle vanilla bean and herbal mushroom. The lingering finish displays hints of minerality, along with apple, lime and a surprising kiss of strawberry. A market basket of aromas and flavors.