Cattleya Wines Call to Adventure Chardonnay 2019
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
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Wine Enthusiast
Very subtle aromas of Meyer lemon peel, sea salt, baked apples and light butter make for a very smooth and pleasant entry to the nose of this wine. There's a strong chalky tension to the palate, where the fantastic grip unleashes flavors of citrus pith with a minty lift. It is a fascinating wine.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Chardonnay Call To Adventure comes from the Russian River Valley, yet it still has an almost Sonoma Coast-like focus and sense of minerality. Beautiful stone fruits, crushed rock, white flowers, honeysuckle, and toasted bread give way to a medium to full-bodied Chardonnay with beautiful purity of fruit, building richness, and a wonderful sense of freshness that carries through to the finish. It’s another beautiful, layered, rich but also fresh and pure Chardonnay that will have a solid decade of longevity.
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Wine & Spirits
Bibiana González Rave made the first wine under her own label in 2011, from clone 15 chardonnay farmed by Jim Pratt. She continues to make Call to Adventure from that same block, allowing it to ferment with ambient yeasts in French oak barrels (50 percent new). The wine is remarkable for its freshness, as if rainwater or river stones could provide an umami taste of pear, sage and almond-scented fruit. Clean, clear, luscious and delicious, the wine’s fresh flavors last.
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2018-
Dunnuck
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Suckling
James -
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Robert
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Dunnuck
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Robert -
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Wine
In her words: Since my early teenage years, my dream has been to make wine.
At a very young age I was fortunate enough to begin learning how to make wine in France. I trained myself while working with some amazing winemakers who showed me the importance of loving the land, how to respect the farming itself, and to focus on the many details that go into making each drop of wine in each and every bottle.
While studying in Bordeaux and Cognac I learned the required viticulture, enology and microbiology (“wine science”); but most importantly, I was also exposed to the many rituals involved in winemaking–things like pruning, harvesting and bottling–that feel so special and meaningful each season. I told myself that one day a bottle of wine would be infused with the longings of my soul through fruit produced from a specific terroir that spoke to my heart. That place I have found.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.