2020 Kanzler Chardonnay 'Walker Vineyard'

"Sometimes a great wine falls into your lap when you weren’t even looking for it.  Such is the case with the Kanzler Chardonnay from Russian River.  The 2020 Walker Station Chardonnay is an EXTREMELY limited wine that was previously winery-direct.  But we were opportunistically able to obtain a small allocation of this great wine to share with our club members. The Kanzler name may ring a bell as they are the vineyard which made Kosta-Browne Pinot Noir famous." -Joe Consul, DipWSET

Winery Background
The Kanzlers moved to Sonoma in 1994 with the desire to raise a family in the country. They fell in love with the property, which at the time was the site of a decrepit, barely-producing apple orchard. Wanting to make better use of the land, they explored the idea of planting grapes. When they established their vineyard in 1996, they were one of the first to plant grapes in the Sebastopol Hills in western Sonoma County.

Many grape growers thought the area — 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean — was too cold and windy for Pinot Noir vineyards. But their next door neighbor, Perry Kozlowski of Kozlowski Farms, whose family has been growing apples and berries in Sonoma County since 1949, thought otherwise. “You can grow apples in 48 states,” he said. “You can grow premium wine grapes in about three places in the world. You’re living in one of them. If I was you, I’d plant grapes.”  Great advice indeed!

When the Kanzlers decided to add a Chardonnay to their portfolio, they looked to the cooler, hillier neighborhoods of the western Russian River Valley where they believe the grape reaches its fullest expression. Most of the Chardonnays in the market today tend to fall into one of two styles: voluptuous, fruity, buttery and oaky; or steely, acidic, crisp, and citrusy. The Kanzler chardonnay walks the line between these two camps: opulent and fruit forward yet crisp and lively.  They now produce Chardonnay from Walker Station Vineyard, a tiny gem and farm in the prized Green Valley neighborhood.

Varietal
100% Chardonnay, Montrachet Clone

Wine
2020 brought the third-driest winter on record. This led to a threat of early bud- break, but a late pruning strategy delayed the start of growing until after frosty nights in March. Weather was ideal through spring and summer but conditions changed mid-August when a dry-lightning storm ignited a series of wildfires. In the end, Kanzler produced 40% less wine, but they are extremely proud of the wines they made.

Handmade by winemaker Alex Kanzler, the Chardonnay was hand-picked and field-sorted at night. Whole clusters were pressed with a slow, gentle cycle designed for champagne grapes. The wine was aged in large French oak puncheon barrels (60% new) for restrained oak contact and less oxygen exposure. Throughout winter barrels were stirred every three weeks to build texture. In spring, barrels were moved to a warmer room for malolactic fermentation. The Chardonnay was left unfiltered to bring flavors and textures even closer to the vineyard.  The wine was finished with 2 months in stainless steel.

Only 155 cases produced!

Tasting Notes
This Chardonnay gracefully walks the line between the texture and richness that are hallmarks of premium Chardonnay, and a balanced acid and alcohol profile that maintain freshness and food-friendliness. The aromatics sing with yuzu, Bosc pear, cut straw, vanilla, graham cracker and apricot. In the mouth, fleshy persimmon entwines with Golden Delicious apple, hazelnut, and nutmeg.

Ratings/Reviews/Accolades
None published but previous vintages of this Chardonnay have been highly acclaimed by Wine Spectator, James Suckling and others.  You get to be the judge!

Food Pairing
Mild and creamy cheeses, including Brie, triple cream and Monterey Jack; pasta with pesto or cheese-based sauces; white fish and shellfish including Lobster;  chicken or fish in creamy or butter-based sauces.

Optimal Drinking Window
Now through 2027