Chardonnay
"Already in bottle, the 2016 Hartford Court Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyard opens with lemon tart, pink grapefruit, pineapple and ripe apple notes with touches of nutmeg and croissant. Medium to full-bodied, rich and with a pleasantly oily texture, it delivers ripe tropical fruit flavors and a long, creamy finish." - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate, December 2017
"The 2014 Stone Côte Vineyard Chardonnay is actually a tiny parcel within the more famous and larger Durell Vineyard. Like most of these wines, indigenous yeast fermentations are encouraged, and the wine is 100% barrel-fermented and aged completely in French oak with the percentage of new oak generally ranging from the upper 30th percentile to 50% or so. This wine is a terrific example of Chardonnay, with a greenish hue to its light straw color and a stunning nose of tropical fruit, citrus oil and orange blossom. It is full-bodied, has great acidity and delicious up-front fruit. This will be a killer Chardonnay when released next year." - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, October, 2016
"The 2014 Far Coast Vineyard Chardonnay comes across like a Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet from France. Great minerality, loads of citrus oil, apple blossom, white peach and tangerine notes are all present in this wine aged in 35% new French oak. The wine has stunning concentration, a broad, savory palate, and a full body; notes of tropical fruit emerge with further aging. This is another relatively small cuvée of about 12+ barrels of wine, or 310 cases. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.." - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, October 2016
"The 2014 Fog Dance Vineyard Chardonnay is from a hillside vineyard in the very cool-climate Green Valley, not far from the little “hippie” town of Forestville. Aged in 38% new French oak, the wine offers a light gold color with a greenish hue, hints of tangerine oil, pineapple, white peach and citrus. This is rich, full-bodied and stunningly proportioned, and much like all the other Chardonnays, the oak is very subtle and nuanced. This is another tour de force in Chardonnay winemaking from winemaker Jeff Stewart." - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, October 2015
"The 2014 Seascape Vineyard Chardonnay is from one of the coldest vineyards in all of Northern California. On a ridgetop close to the town of Occidental, facing Bodega Bay in the Pacific Ocean, it is often the last to ripen – and sometimes as late as late October or November. A deep golden color, exotic tropical fruits, crushed rocks, and an almost saltiness characterize this rather nutty and strikingly Meursault-like Chardonnay that will be somewhat controversial compared to the more classic aromas and
flavors of the other five offerings, but it is still a brilliant, somewhat idiosyncratic Chardonnay in the lineup of the Hartford Court wines. Drink it over the next 4-5 years." - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, October, 2016
"True to its Carneros roots, the 2014 Sevens Bench Chardonnay carries the hallmark of the region – fruit intensity balanced by good acidity. The aromas are driven by classic lemon drop, Meyer lemon and a sweet tangerine character. That fruit style follows in the flavors, with the citrus focus carrying through with candied lemon drop balanced by the nice acidity and mineral characters
inherent to the region and the clonal selections. Barrel fermentation characters are in the background, adding more complexity to
this elegant wine." - Jeff Stewart, Winemaker
