2012 J. Rochioli Chardonnay Sweetwater Vineyard

Almonds, hazelnuts, butter, pastry and dried pear notes meld together in the 2012 Chardonnay Sweetwater. The aromas and flavors have that warm, burnished resonance typical of Wente clone Chardonnay, while the wine's structure is dense, textured and broad. The 2012 needs a little air if opened young, as it has only recently been bottled.

The 2012 Chardonnay Sweetwater is created from Wente clones culled from Steve Kistler’s Vine Hill vineyard. It offers lots of lemon oil, honeysuckle, wet rock, peach and apricot marmalade notes in its big, rich, well-delineated personality. It displays the best of California combined with the finesse and complexity of a French Burgundy. Consume it over the next 5-7 years. Most knowledgeable people in the wine world have enormous respect for the integrity, honesty and exceptionally high quality of the wines emanating from the Rochioli Vineyards in the Russian River area. Currently, Tom Rochioli runs the show, and if you are not on their mailing list, chances are you only have an opportunity to purchase their Estate Chardonnay, Estate Pinot Noir, and possibly their Sauvignon Blanc. Mailing list customers have access to their best single vineyard wines. The consistency of these wines, even in less than ideal vintages, has been remarkable over my career. When I saw Tom Rochioli in October, he was thrilled with what 2012 had provided, and was even more excited by the fact that 2013 may be even better. The Pinot Noirs are largely produced from different clonal materials, and each parcel represents different blocks within the Rochioli estate vineyards. Tel. (707) 433-2305