The Crusher Unoaked Chardonnay

Our 2011 Chardonnay has bright floral notes and aromas of lemongrass, passion fruit and Tahitian vanilla. It's marked by brisk acidity that drives this racy and lean wine. Flavors of juicy pineapple and green apple impress on the palate, rounded out by a light hint of creamy vanilla from its three months of aging on French oak. It's made for drinking now and would complement seafood and richer fare quite well.

APPELLATION

The Clarksburg AVA is an up and coming wine region located in California's Sacramento Delta. The area was quickly discovered by grape growers attracted by a micro-climate which closely mirrored that of nearby Napa Valley. The soils here are a combination of poorly-draining clay and rich loam, meaning vines experience nutrient-rich, yet sometimes arid conditions. During the growing season, warm days give way to cooling afternoon breezes from the San Francisco Bay, dropping temperatures down 30 to 40 degrees from their daytime highs. This mass of cool air allows wine grapes to retain more acidity than those grown in similarly warm regions.

VINTAGE

The 2011 vintage was a trying one for growers. It was an unusually cool year and a late frost affected many vineyards cutting yields and pushing out harvest. The weather remained unseasonably cool through much of the growing season, and was devoid of any real grape ripening heat spikes until well into September. Rain and lower temperature returned again in October further reducing yields and bringing fears of botrytis. These early rain events gave way to the long-awaited Indian summer, with the grapes finally getting ripe enough to pick. While the harvest wasn't abundant, the emerging crop displayed powerfully concentrated flavors developed during the extended hang-time they enjoyed.

THE CRUSHER

For more than 115 years, the Sebastiani name has been synonymous with quality winemaking in Sonoma County. Likewise, the Wilson family has been growing grapes in the Clarksburg region south of Sacramento since 1922. Created in tribute to the multi-generational partnership these two well-regarded wine families have enjoyed, The Crusher is fittingly named for the point where the fruit of one family's labors literally gives way to those of the other.