2017 Zio Tony Ranch Chardonnay
One of the best Zio Tony Chardonnay yet! The nose is a refined compliment of honeydew melon, fresh pine needles and cedar with toasted hazelnuts and fresh butter pie crust. Yeasty and savory, the aromas are layered and complex, turning to fresh peach and ginger as the wine opens. Zio Tony Ranch is one of the highest acid vineyards with which we work, creating freshness and vibrancy on the full-bodied palate. This leads to a mineral, wet stone density that sets up a long and detailed finish
The 2017 growing season was far from normal. It kicked off with record rainfall, a welcome addition after almost five years of drought. In the early spring the weather began to clear, and the growing season began to look up with sunny and warm conditions. Around flowering, weather conditions started to oscillate between foggy and windy days and unusually hot spikes. This continued into June, where unseasonably hot weather left clusters with small berries and a much lighter crop than predicted. All our vineyards were picked before the fires in October.
Planted in 1990 by the Martinelli family, Zio Tony Ranch is located on Frei Road in the heart of the Russian River's cool Green Valley. Our coveted section of Zio Tony is planted on top of a gently sloping hill on well-drained, low-vigor, Goldridge sandy loam soils. These iron-rich, reddish soils consistently produce fruit with great structure and acidity. Our 2017 Chardonnay is made from 100% Dijon clone 76, which is notable for its exceptional texture and pure aromatics.
Whole-cluster pressed
100% Burgundian French oak barrels (38% new; 62% 1-2-year old)
Bottled without filtration to preserve the wine’s aromas and flavors and enhance aging potential
- Type:
- White
- Varietal:
- Chardonnay
- Region:
- California
- Appellation:
- Russian River Valley
- Vintage:
- 2017
- Blend:
- 100% Chardonnay fruit
- Aging:
- Sur lie aged with weekly stirring
- Alcohol:
- 14.5%
- Fermentation:
- 100% indigenous yeast fermentations (wild); 100% malo-lactic fermentation in barrel