2011 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard

The 2011 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard comes from a grand cru site for Chardonnay that is used by some of the best Chardonnay winemakers in California. More medium than full-bodied, it reveals terrific depth and richness, especially for a 2011, along with plenty of ripe peach, honeysuckle and tropical fruit notes. This beautiful Chardonnay exhibits good underlying acidity, freshness and purity. Consume it over the next 2-3 years. Paul Hobbs has built quite an empire, both as a worldwide respected wine consultant and as the owner of his winery in Sonoma Valley. I reviewed his Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon cuvees in Issue 209, and on this visit I tasted through his 2011 and 2012 Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs as well as a few Syrahs. His wines consistently hit all the high notes, and Hobbs continues to be a serious talent. I particularly enjoy his Cross Barn, inexpensive Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The 2011 Chardonnays range from tiny productions of 138 cases for the Ulises Valdez to 3,600 for the Russian River Chardonnay. The 2012s all reveal the tremendous up-front fruit characteristics of this year along with surprisingly high average alcohols, and good fresh acids. Paul Hobbs has introduced two Cross Barn Pinot Noir cuvees, one from the Sonoma Coast and one from Anderson Valley. These wines use a tiny bit of stems during their fermentations, and spend four months in barrel, 15% of which is new. Tasting through these same cuvees in 2012 demonstrated just how gorgeous this vintage is across the board in Northern California. Tel. (707) 824-9879

The 2011 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is a wine of superior density. Today the aromas and flavors are very much in the background. Instead, it is the pure structure and depth of the fruit that stands out most. This is going to be a fascinating wine to follow over the coming years. Savory herbs, crushed rocks and white flowers add the final layers of complexity.

Green-hued yellow. Pungent, perfumed aromas of orange peel, pear, fresh herbs and ginger, with a hint of iodine. Broad and dry in the mouth, with excellent energy and breadth to the flavors of candied citrus and orchard fruits, minerals and chamomile. Nervy and focused on the persistent finish, which gives a strong mineral impression.