Zepaltas Wines

In the spring of 2009 I got a call from Hanzell Vineyard’s winemaker, Michael McNeill. He had called to ask me if I would be interested in working with some fruit from their iconic vineyard. Excited but confused, I told him that I would look at my budget and get back to him.
Well, I never really looked at my budget; I just decided that my answer was “yes.” I was honored to be offered fruit from this legendary site, but I thought that there had to be a catch. Was it going to be some lesser block of young vines, or some old diseased rows?
Hardly. I was offered grapes from the de Brye block that was planted in 1977 to old Wente Clone Chardonnay. Needless to say, we got the contract signed and in early Sept we harvested 2 tons of Hanzell Chardonnay.
The harvested fruit had me buzzing with excitement: small berries loaded with dense, but delicate flavors. The juice was pressed off and put through primary fermentation in stainless steel. After primary, we transferred the wine into French oak barrels where it remained on the lees for 14 months. We stirred the wine heavily throughout malolactic fermentation, and then let the wine rest until it was time for bottling.
On the nose there are hints of stone fruit, minerals and quinine. On the palate there is subtle hints of lemon curd, lychee and a touch of creaminess. The wine has a really crispy framework reminiscent of Chablis. The 2009 Hanzell Chardonnay will benefit from time in the cellar to let it develop secondary flavors, and fill itself out. Feel free to drink it now with dinner, but I believe that the rewards will be greater with a couple years in the cellar.