Hartford Court Stone Cote Vyd 2008 Chardonnay Sonoma

Hartford Family Winery

There is only one cascading ridge between the ocean, Annapolis Vineyard and the other vineyards, including Seascape Vineyard, from which Land's Edge is sourced. The resulting cold climate reduces the Pinot Noir crop to minuscule levels - often picked as late as November. However, this cool, and frequently foggy, coastal climate preserves natural acidity in the berries, helping to delineate the purity of the fruit flavors. Balanced acidity, layers of complexity and firm tannins will allow for long and graceful aging of this highly expressive, inaugural vintage of Land's Edge Vineyards Pinot Noir.
Wine Advocate
92 points Robert Parker: "The 2008 Chardonnay Stone Cote (a block of vines within the larger Durell Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast) is an unfiltered, crisp, elegant white exhibiting notes of creamy creme brulee, white peach, apricot, and lemon blossom intertwined with hints of quince, wet stones, and nectarines. This beauty reveals unmistakable minerality as well as power allied to elegance."

International Wine Cellar
The (02/10) 91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Lightly hazy yellow. Smoky aromas of white peach, fig, wild herbs, iodine and vanilla. Round and fleshy on the palate, with intriguing flavors of tangerine, pit fruits, smoky lees and flowers. There's lively acidity here, but it comes on late, adding energy to the wine's sweet fruit. Silky, understated chardonnay with impressive finishing sappiness and cling." (May/June 10).

Type	White
Varietal	Chardonnay
Vintage	2008
Bottle size	750mL
Alcohol content	14.5%
Appellation	California – Sonoma County - Sonoma Coast
Wine Advocate	92
Wine Enthusiast	--
Wine Spectator	--
Other	91

The Vineyard

The Stone Côte Vineyard is a small vineyard block within the well known Durrell Vineyard, it sits in the path of an ancient, uplifted river bed on the flank of Sonoma Mountain within the cool Sonoma Coast AVA. Tumbled and water-worn cobblestones now litter the landscape of the vineyard, and very little topsoil remains. The nutritionally deficient soils force the vines to search for water and generate considerable stress on the vines. The stressed vines in turn yield very small clusters with intense varietal flavors.

Climatically, this vineyard site is characterized by cool daytime tempteratures, high winds and cold ocean breezes. The low fertility soils and the cool temperatures unite to form an ideal site for growing Chardonnay. The wine's flinty aromas and mineral-laden finish are a reflection of the stony vineyard's location.