WTN: A CHARDONNAY that rocked my world! (Alysian)

2008 Alysian Chardonnay. Not sure which vineyard

Wow. Just wow. I am not normally a big chardonnay drinker, but the citric purity of rich, rich fruit...the well-handled oak...the sheer exubernace without being jammy or cloying in any way. Even the color is beautiful...a lovely rich golden hue. Rich, but still so much bright acidity and "minerality" and purity. Yum!

Gary Farrell's newest project is a winner for me!

http://alysianwines.com/all-wines/

I'm planning to order the 2008 Alysian Starr Ridge Chardonnay off their mailing list. I am passing on the Hallberg and Starr Ridge Pinot Noirs because I prefer the Pinot from Floodgate Vineyard or the Russian River Selection. I loved the Floodgate Pinot Noir from 2007 but Gary says in his notes that the 2008 is more the style of wine he strives to make--more restraint, less extracted it seems.

2008 Alysian Chardonnay. Not sure which vineyard

Wow. Just wow. I am not normally a big chardonnay drinker, but the citric purity of rich, rich fruit...the well-handled oak...the sheer exubernace without being jammy or cloying in any way. Even the color is beautiful...a lovely rich golden hue. Rich, but still so much bright acidity and "minerality" and purity. Yum!

Gary Farrell's newest project is a winner for me!

http://alysianwines.com/all-wines/

Brian, I just checked the link you posted and only one chard in the store and that is Cresta Ridge which is listed at $38 per bottle. My purse strings are too tight I guess. Have no doubt as to quality though.

2008 Alysian Chardonnay. Not sure which vineyard

Wow. Just wow. I am not normally a big chardonnay drinker, but the citric purity of rich, rich fruit...the well-handled oak...the sheer exubernace without being jammy or cloying in any way. Even the color is beautiful...a lovely rich golden hue. Rich, but still so much bright acidity and "minerality" and purity. Yum!

Gary Farrell's newest project is a winner for me!

http://alysianwines.com/all-wines/

Brian,
Thanks for alerting me to the existence of this winery. I've been waiting for Gary Farrell to resurface for several years now, as was among the few CA Pinot Noir producers (along with Merry Edwards, Richard Sanford, Jim Clendennan, Rod Berglund and a few youngsters) that we continue to have any interest in. I'm not surprised that he can make an appealing Chardonnay, too.

Mark Lipton

See this post:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=33766&p=284610&hilit=floodgate#p284610

See this post:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=33766&p=284610&hilit=floodgate#p284610

Thanks, JC. Have you had a chance to taste through the lineup? Given our preference for lighter, more structured PN, I'd guess that the RR Selection and the Starr Ridge (featuring the 115 Clone, which I find gives lighter-bodied wines in general) would be most to our tastes. What say you?

Mark Lipton

Denise Sanders, who handles their sales, was at Pinot on the River in Healdsburg last October. I tried the Hallberg and Starr Ridge Pinots as well as tasting the Floodgate West Block once again and my preference was for the latter. I didn't take notes due to the soggy circumstances of the tasting (record rainfall that weekend.) Alysian Wines also has a Rochioli Pinot I think or at least Rochioli grapes (and Allen grapes) are included in the Russian River cuvee. Most of the Pinot Noirs do exceed 14% alcohol. You might prefer the 2008 Floodgate vintage over the 2007 which I loved. I'm not sure any of them are light bodied but Gary does go for a certain acidity and structure.

We sampled a "Russian River" bottling of the Pinot Tuesday night! There was no vineyard designation that I could find on the label, but the website does not mention this "blended" bottling at all????

Anyway, the 2008 "Russian River" Pinot was quite lovely even if it was "only" a blend. It had fruit, certainly, but also that mythical forest floor character with some chewy tannins, a ton of bracing acidity. Much closer to Burgundy (I guess one could say) than typical tutti fruity pinots. For some reason, the fruit character of the more standard California pinot is a flavor profile I just do not like anymore. I liked the Alyssian, though, because of the mushroomy, briary, earthy character.

Here is a description from the Alysian mailing:

• 2008 Pinot Noir Russian River Selection
Our appellation blends are nearly always among our most exciting and alluring wines. They combine complementing cuvees crafted from our finest vineyards to create amazingly complex and complete wines. Consider this wine benefits from the brightness of the Allen Dijon clones, the depth of the Rochioli Pommard and richness of Hallberg Cruz clone; creating a symphony of flavors, texture and intrigue. We are pleased by the tremendous generosity of this wine...without excessive weight, density or extract. Delicious, bright, juicy and satisfying; a wine we are confident will be enjoyed and greatly appreciated by our customers. Gary Farrell, winemaker


Gary, how about some royalties if you sell a bundle.