La Crema Russian River Chardonnay 2017
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Aromas of meyer lemon, nectarine and jasmine. Flavors of yellow plum, d’Anjou pear, tangerine and toasted hazelnut. Richly textured, velvety and concentrated with balanced acidity and subtle toast.
Ideal with creamy, rich foods like risotto primavera and brown butter scallops, especially those with a dash of lemon zest and/or Pecorino. Believe it or not, this wine can actually pair with asparagus!
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The largest production cuvee, the 2017 Chardonnay is still beautiful, with a richer, rounded, style. Ripe pineapple, citrus, white flowers, and brioche define the nose. Medium-bodied, rounded, and supple on the palate, with beautiful fruit, this is one seriously pleasure-bent beauty that represents a good value.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is sourced from seven vineyards across the appellation. It was barrel fermented and aged 10 months in 33% new French oak. It opens with toast, fresh pear and apple fruit with notes of lemon cream, honeysuckle, pie crust and sweet spices. Medium-bodied, it's rounded and creamy in the mouth with good fruit intensity tempered by toasty oak notes, enlivened by refreshing acidity and finishing long. Well done! 25,000 cases produced.
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Wine Enthusiast
Steely and crisp in melon, apple and nectarine, this white is integrated in oak with a hint of rich brioche and vanilla. Long and lengthy, it has well-integrated acidity that keeps it fresh in the glass despite its hearty concentration.
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The winery's original name, La Crema Viñera, means "best of the vine," setting the standard for all the team has done since 1979. For more than 35 years, the family-owned and operated winery has focused exclusively on cool-climate appellations, from its original home in the Russian River Valley, to Monterey and, now, the Willamette Valley. La Crema is continually exploring these very special regions—passionate in the belief that they make uniquely expressive and elegant wines. Thorough vineyard site selection and boutique winemaking techniques ensure the consistently distinct, naturally balanced wines La Crema is committed to producing.
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.