The Vineyard
The 2009 Sebella Chardonnay by Hanzell Vineyards is the newest release of our companion label to the Hanzell Estate Chardonnay. Given the namesake of the owners children, Sebella was created with insight and respect gained from studying the great Domaines of Burgundy. Beginning in 2007, we established an even more rigorous barrel by barrel declassification standard for our Estate Chardonnay. We blended a select few of the remaining barrels to create the first two vintages of Sebella Chardonnay.
With experience gained only over time, we are now able to begin to identify individual blocks that will form the core of Sebella Chardonnay. With the priceless commitment of the ownership of Hanzell Vineyards, we are able to farm all of our Estate vineyards with careful and meticulous attention to the highest quality grape growing. As we move slowly into the harvest season, we are able to further identify vineyard blocks that can be followed for inclusion into Sebella Chardonnay.
Through the 2009 vintage we were able to identify the vineyard blocks, during their barrel aging in our cave, which might be considered for Sebella Chardonnay. Only after the Estate Chardonnay blend was determined, we were able to select the barrels from the identified lots for the Sebella Chardonnay. The 2009 Sebella Chardonnay was moved from barrel after eight months to allow us to bottle a Chardonnay that captures the fresh and youthful character of our vineyards. This allows us a new expression of our vineyards and gives us the time and patience for our Estate Chardonnay, with its balance, intensity and complexity, to age gracefully in our cellars.
