Chalk Hill
Chalk Hill is the only 100% estate winery in the Chalk Hill/Russian River Valley AVA in Sonoma County. Founded in 1972, Chalk Hill’s unique topography and climactic and geological diversity allow both Burgundian and Bordeaux varieties to produce world class wines on the Estate. Chalk Hill has been a leader in clonal research for many years and each unique vineyard plot is meticulously matched to the grape variety and clone to which it is best suited. Indeed the winery’s famed Estate Chardonnay is made from the Chalk Hill clone, which was developed at the winery. The quest for quality is the basis for all viticultural and winemaking decisions at Chalk Hill Estate. Winemaker Courtney Foley uses light-handed techniques that allow each bottle to express the essence of the vineyard.
| Website | www.chalkhill.com/ |
|---|---|
| Address | 10300 Chalk Hill Road Healdsburg CA 95448 |
| Wine Maker | Courtney Foley |
| Country | America |
| Region | California |
| Appellation | Oakville, Clarksburg, Sonoma Coast, Chalk Hill, North Coast, Monterey, Rutherford |
From this Winery
Since 1972, Chalk Hill has been committed to creating terroir-driven wines of character, richness and elegance from Sonoma County’s rolling hills. With a passionate dedication to chardonnay, we showcase the incredible diversity of our estate vineyards to make the best quality wines possible with a vision for generations to come. While our estate vineyards are the cornerstone of our identity, our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay allows us to create wines of elegance with an expanded palette of exceptional cool-climate fruit. The 2021 vintage features Chardonnay sourced primarily from Foley Family estate vineyards in Carneros, Chalk Hill and the Sonoma Coast. The fruit coming from the Chalk Hill AVA provides richness, concentration, viscosity and nuttiness, while the Carneros delivers structure and notes of apple and pear.
The 2020 vintage was a dry growing season, with only a few spring showers, but we had good fruit-set and cluster development. Our Sauvignon Blanc grapes came in perfectly ripe and beautiful at harvest. Our 2020 Sauvignon Blanc opens with aromas of lemon curd, grapefruit and white flower. The palate is clean and crisp with flavors of mango and honeydew melon flowing through the long, juicy finish.
THE CHALK HILL 2020 Estate Chardonnay captures the vibrant, complex and classic character of our estate-grown grapes. We are dedicated to making exceptional Chardonnay, and no detail is overlooked. In the vineyard, focused planting of the ideal clone on each vineyard block, managing yields for optimum ripeness and balance, and the work of a dedicated crew are among the keys to our success. Chardonnay is a winemaker’s grape, molded into its most interesting self by native yeast fermentation and aging in carefully chosen French oak barrels and frequent lees stirring. It is a labor-intensive wine, but the rewards are most certainly worth the hard work and attention.
Our 2017 Estate Red opens with bold and intense aromas of blackberry, anise, tobacco leaf and dark chocolate. The palate is rich and savory with nuances of vanilla, spice and dark fruit. Though firm, the tannins are rounded by a balanced acidity and a long and smooth finish. Though appealing in its youth, this wine will also age beautifully over the next 15 years.