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Wine Details
Price:
$28.00 per bottle
Description:
GlenLyon only grows Syrah on the Estate, so the grapes for the ten barrels of the 2004 Hog Wilde Chardonnay came from a three and a half acre vineyard owned and operated by Parmelee-Hill in the Southern portion of Sonoma Valley. We made the grapes into wine here at GlenLyon and then barrel fermented the Chardonnay in both neutral and 20% new French Oak barrels. It is a mouth watering, creamy, acid balanced, lemon zest Chardonnay and was only allowed to complete 20% malolactic fermentation so that the fruit was allowed to shine. The fruit made such a wonderful wine that, for the first time, we have had the name "Parmelee-Hill" added to the label, giving the bottle its own vineyard designation.
The 2004 is Hog Wilde Chardonnay at its best and is a terrific alternate to those HeavyButterHugeOakTreeCalifornia Chardonnays that all those PseudoEnophillicBloviatedPeople tend to drink.
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Varietal Definition
Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is by far the most widely planted grape crop in California and dominates California’s cooler, coastal, quality wine regions. The natural varietal ‘taste and smell’ of Chardonnay is surprisingly unfamiliar to many wine drinkers, as its true character is often guised with dominating winemaking signatures. Chardonnay’s rather subdued primary fruit characteristics lean toward the crisp fruitiness of apples, pears and lemon, but the variety’s full body is capable of supporting a host of complementary characteristics, such as oak, butter and vanilla. Regardless of what is the appropriate style for Chardonnay, the varietal continues to dominate vineyard plantings in every corner of the world. Close attention to clonal selection has made this broad geographic and climactic range of Chardonnay viable in thoughtful viticultural hands.
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Syrah:
Syrah is the eight hundred pound gorilla of Rhone grapes! In the vineyard and the winery, Syrah is typically an easy grape to work with - healthy, early ripening, resistant to mildew and rot; suitable for winemaking in a variety of styles. The wines from Syrah are tannic without being harsh. The wines will have a taste and smell of dark blue fruit like blackberries and blackcurrant, with a strong spicy side where one can find freshly ground pepper and other spices. Syrah is famous for its part in the French blends, such as Côtes du Rhone and Châteauneuf du Pape.
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