Benovia Russian River Chardonnay 2019
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
This 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay is bursting with aromas of sun-ripened Golden Delicious Apple, poached pear, and marzipan. The nose is filled with dried apricot and white peach, knit together by balanced acidity and a long-complex finish. Barrel fermentation and oak aging for 13 months have added hints of toasted almond, and spice cake to a subtle minerality on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Sleek, slatey and elegant in style, this wine impresses from start to finish in its layers of crisp apple, pear and melon. The fruit is balanced and brimming in bright acidity, while remaining focused and fresh throughout.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is solid, offering classic buttered citrus and stone fruits as well as subtle oak, some creamy, honeyed notes, notable purity of fruit, and a lengthy finish.
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Spectator
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Enthusiast
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Tasting
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With such similar family backgrounds, it's no wonder Joe Anderson and Mary Dewane would eventually find each other and marry. Together, they began a journey that led them to establish a winery that would make them, and their fathers, proud -- proud enough that the Benovia name pays homage to Ben and Novian.
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.