2012 Balverne Russian River Valley Estate Reserve Chardonnay, 6-bottle Lot

Balverne, just south of Healdsburg, was in the 19th century a part of the historic Rancho Sotoyome. Vineyards were planted by a later owner and after several changes in ownership, the estate was in 1972 named Balverne. In the 1970s and the 1980s the Balverne brand was well known and much admired, and served at the White House, among other places. In 1992 Bob Stein bought the property and managed it as a commercial vineyard. In 2005 Stein started producing wine again, first under the label Windsor Oaks and in 2012 switching the name back to Balverne. Balverne makes Russian River Valley Chardonnay, rosé, and Pinot Noir, as well as Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.

Russian River Valley AVA is named for the river that meanders from Mendocino County in the north until it finally runs into the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. The AVA is cool thanks to its proximity to the northern California coast and the river, and grape growers must learn to deal with regular fog. Nevertheless in recent decades the AVA has become one of the best in the state, meaning that its wines often earn excellent reviews and have considerable cachet. The AVA status was awarded in 1983 and today the appellation has 15,000 vineyard acres. Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape though Pinot Noir has also been very successful in recent decades. Russian River Valley Pinot Noir are known for being rich, lush and filled with concentrated fruit and berry flavors. Russian River Pinot Noirs are today considered some of the best domestic Pinot Noirs.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.