Wine Last Sold on: February 26, 2013
Ideology Cellars
Featured Wine:
2009 Reserve Chardonnay
| Varietal: | Chardonnay |
| Vineyard: | Red Hen Vineyard |
| Region: | California: Oak Knoll District (Napa) |
| Availability: | Final Allocation |
| Avg. Price: | $40.00 |
| Wine Spies: | $28.99 |
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SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
We only showcase wines that we love. While our emphasis is on quality first, every now and again we come across a real standout wine that rises above. When we do, we issue alerts like this one.
SUPER QPR ALERT:
At today’s special Wine Spies price, this wine delivers tremendous value - and a drinking experience that exceeds expectations, easily earning it this special QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Alert.
Mission Codename: Golden Delights
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- Return to Ideology Cellars, a very popular winery with our Operatives. Taste through their white wine selections and select their finest, best-drinking, Operative-worthy example.
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
- Winemaker
- Gustavo Gonzalez
Final Assessment
Just in time for the coming Spring, we are so pleased to bring you a really remarkable Chardonnay from our great friends at Ideology Cellars. Their 2009 Reserve Chardonnay hails from the Oak Knoll appellation in the Napa Valley.
This delicious wine is complex and bold, but also very approachable. It shows terrific poise and overall balance, leading our tasting panel to give the wine a highly recommended for any fan of complex Chardonnay.
Pair this wonderful white with a crab salad with fresh fennel or crab cakes served with blood orange slices and a ginger aioli.
Tasting Profile
Daffofil gold with glinting edges that catch the light. Tall, skinny tears start high on the glass wall before running slowly downward.
Layered and lush with a excess of intriguing aromatics. The wine starts with lemon zest and violets, with earthy aromas of subtle marjoram and oregano. As the wine opens up, brioche and and ricotta arrive.
Complex, clean and bold with peach, golden delicious apple, citrus zest, white creamed honey and light cream.
Very long and flavorful, with all of the fruits diminishing in equal proportion. Light, fresh herbs and a hint of oak with white pepper show in the corners of the palate. After a moment, something interesting happens; a delicious golden raspeberry appears and then gradually tails off.
What the Winery Says
VINEYARDS & WINEMAKING
Our Chardonnay comes from the Red hen Vineyard that is South of our Estate Vineyard between the towns of Napa and Yountville on Hwy 29. With similar soil structures, these two vineyards complement each other seamlessly. The Sees Chardonnay clone is used exclusively and is perfect for the climate and soil structure in this vineyard, creating wine with delicate floral components while having a rich full-bodied structure.
Picked and transported as quickly as possible the grapes go immediately into the press for a very long and gentle pressing cycle, sometimes taking up to eight hours. The barrel fermentation is completed at a relatively cool temperature to help retain the bright, tropical fruit flavors associated with this varietal. This wine lot is topped constantly, stirred once a week during fermentation and aged sur lie for 19 months.
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Peony flower, tropical melons and Asian pears with hints of honeysuckle and clove.
Palate: Vanilla bean, honeydew melon, ripe mandarin orange, Meyer lemons and candied apple round out the soft finish of this wine.
Wine Specs
Vintage: 2009
Appellation: Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley
Vineyard: Red Hen Vineyard
Aging: Aged for 19 months in 60% new French Oak.
Varietals: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 14.2%
Cases Produced: 112 Cases
Winemaker: Brian Graham
About the Winery
Ideology was born from our sheer passion for wine and for the Napa Valley. Aside from the science of wine making, our senses define the direction of our wines. Our commitment and dedication to creating handcrafted, world class wines that thrill and delight the senses is the basis of our philosophy.
We’re not sure exactly how or when it happened … whether it could be defined by a precise moment in time, or whether it was a gradual revelation - but it happened. Joni and I fell in love with the beautiful, idyllic Napa Valley wine country. Our love affair went beyond the vineyard covered countryside. We fell in love with the people … the way of life … the lush, provocative, boutique wines we discovered off the beaten path and, of course, the winemaking process itself. We were hooked.
Fast forward to today, where we proudly nurture our grapes on our estate vineyard, the Robert Williamson Family Estate. Our meticulously hand harvested fruit is then lovingly made into wine at our multi-winery facility, Silenus Vintners. It is here that Ideology Cellars’ wines are served in a beautiful tasting room along with thirteen other boutique wines produced by families with stories similar to ours. We are proud to have made the transition from a coastal, custom home builder family, to Napa Valley vintner – and we haven’t looked back. We invite you to visit us and enjoy our wines in the tasting room, or perhaps catch us for a barrel tasting in the cellar. Whichever your pleasure, we look forward to sharing our wines with you.
Cheers!
