Hansel’s Chardonnay The Estate Vineyard is absolutely gorgeous. The Estate has an extra kick of freshness and energy that marries well with the Russian River exuberance that is so typical of these wines. The Estate is the most vibrant and floral of these Chardonnays.
Throughout the 1980’s the entire family would harvest the half acre of grapes and my father and I would make the wine; filling two barrels, which equaled 50 cases of wine.
All chardonnay is whole cluster pressed into French oak (a combination of Francois Freres and Sequin Moreau) with between 25-30 new and the remainder 1-2-3 years old. The barrels are stirred weekly for 1-2 months. The wine is aged 10 months in barrel.
Pairs well with pork, vegetarian dishes, and poultry dishes.