One Sixteen Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2022

The Kosta Browne - One Sixteen Russian River Valley Chardonnay cuvée comes from the Russian River Valley, in Sonoma County, California. It blends renowned vineyards located in the coolest parts of the appellation, such as Keefer Ranch, Ritchie, Zio Tony, Lone Oak and Charles Ranch. The marine influence that travels up the river from the Pacific brings fog every morning that cools the nights, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly while retaining precious natural acidity.

The grapes, from various clones such as Wente, Mount Eden and Calera, are whole-cluster pressed. Each lot ferments entirely in 60-gallon barrels, with native yeasts, and goes through malolactic fermentation naturally. The wine is then aged for twelve months on the lees, with minimal bâtonnage, in one-third new French oak barrels and two-thirds neutral barrels, then the blend rests for four months in a stainless-steel tank.

This wine reveals notes of Meyer lemon, grapefruit, kiwi, pear, lavender, crème brûlée, sweet spices and toasted hazelnut. The finely woven nose combines citrus, flowers and gourmand notes. The round yet precisely structured palate offers captivating acidity, lovely depth and a long, refined finish.

In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors to California that boosted the California wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Sonoma and Napa region. At the start of the 20th century, there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933 Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the California wine industry so that by 1933, only 140 wineries remained producing wine. It was only from 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition and California was primarily known for the production of fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous estates were created (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc...). In 1976, a significant event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgment of Paris". He sees the greatest French wines opposing the new American wines. This May 24, an unexpected result shakes the world of wine, since to everyone's surprise, it is the United States which wins. However, this competition remains relatively unknown to the general public. Today, there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Even though California largely monopolizes the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and the state of Washington offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon.