Notes from the Archivist

"Long Waltz"

At last, the “Long Waltz” enters the stage! We know many of you have been waiting for the first white release. After fifteen reds, it’s time.

Entry No. 016 comes fully un-redacted from our very own hometown-favorite, Chiron. The exact same Chardonnay Bobby makes, and which normally fetches $65 direct from the winery is here for you at over 40% off. With just 40 cases to spare, this will go fast!

This single-vineyard beauty comes from Muir-Hanna Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District. Barrel fermented on native yeast. It was aged in 50% new oak for 12 months and saw 100% malo. Then another 5 months in stainless steel. It sashays onto dance floor, moving and shaking with intensity and finesse. It’s creamy and ripe, with great acidity and layers of complexity. A generous midpalate features loads of starfruit, spiced white pear, and yellow apple with a fantastic floral/honeyed Hawaiin Longan fruit note, too. There’s brioche and subtle almond, with a nice smack of toasty barrel spices, and a cool salted lanolin thing circling around the core of fruit. Not too heavy. Not too lean. Tremendous stuff, for sure. With ample fruit, minerality, acidity, and just the right hit of buttery richness it should satiate the masses and cognoscenti alike.

While many of you have been waiting for this one, there’s one customer in particular who’s worth mentioning – as he tasted the barrel sample before bottling. Mark S. visited the tasting room recently, entering an “ABC” (anything but Chardonnay) guy, and left a fully converted “OTC” (only this Chardonnay” believer. He’s been asking ever since when it’s dropping. Well, the time is now.

It’s killer stuff, and while young, it could definitely benefit from a little patience to start showing it’s full potential. Try one early to get a feel for how it moves, and let it mature into a showstopper worthy of keeping step with the best around.