Ed Durell planted the first vines in the rock-strewn, windy hills in 1979. Today, Durell Vineyard spans three AVAs: Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. The block TOR sources from lies in the famed Sand Hill section of the vineyard, which overlooks the Sonoma Valley. This 2014 Durell Chardonnay ranks among the best they have ever produced. “This has the classic seamless, almost oily palate weight and texture to it that the best Durells have but with a thread of focus that helps to pull the intensity of the palate together. This shows mandarin oranges, stone fruits and an almost cut wet grass note to it.
Fine & Rare
Showing 31–35 of 35 results
Results per page:-
White Wine
2019 Kevin John Chardonnay, Cullen
£9950Add to BasketCullen’s Kevin John remains one of Australia’s classiest Chardonnays and is named after a pioneer of the Margaret River wine region. Biodynamic and carbon-neutral practices result in this incredibly perfumed wine which has intriguing aromas of white flower, orange blossom, fig, pear and kaffir lime. It leads to a poised, expansive palate defined by a fine, mineral acidity that drives the characteristic Kevin John flavours of lime, fig, dried pear and honeysuckle. Beautifully balanced, it shows many years of promise ahead.
-
White Wine
2008 Moon Select Chardonnay, Flowers
£12500Add to BasketFlowers are pioneers of the Sonoma Coast region and make extraordinary Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Perched on top of soaring coastal ridges that border the Pacific Ocean, Flowers’ estate vineyards were some of the first planted on the “extreme” Sonoma Coast in 1991. Flowers’ vineyards rise up just two miles from the rugged Pacific Ocean cliffs at elevations of 1,150 to 1,875 feet. The maritime breezes and coastal fog cool the vineyards during the heat of summer allowing fruit to fully mature with fresh, complex flavours and lively acidity resulting in wines with a distinct coastal minerality and bright natural acidity.
Moon Select is the ultimate expression of the vintage and showcases the best barrels from the Camp Meeting Ridge vineyard. Only 280 cases produced were produced of the 2008 vintage. The 2008 is now mature and developed. On the nose, it has aromas of butter, lemongrass and ripe apricots. Caramel and brioche are abundant on the palate – that coastal acidity is still present as is the precise structure. Very rich and textural. The finish is savoury and long. It’s a stunning glass of wine.
Grapes were harvested in the early morning hours to ensure the fruit arrived at the winery at cool temperatures. The grapes were pressed as whole clusters and the juice allowed to settle for 24 hours before a gentle gravity transfer to French Oak barrels. After 100% native yeast fermentation, the wine continued to mature in-barrels: 100% French oak, 35% new for 14 months to allow the true expression of the vintage and varietal to stand out.
-
White Wine
2019 Chardonnay ‘Vine Hill Vineyard’, Kistler
£19500Add to Basket2019 marks the 40th vintage of Kistler and what a vintage it is!
“This is a gorgeous set of wines from Kistler. The 2019 Chardonnays show the pedigree of the vintage in their nuance, character and site expression.” Antonio Galloni of Vinous.com
The 2019 Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay as described by the winemaker: Green-tinged pale yellow. Bold aromas of freshly peeled Gravensteins, lime blossom, powdered rock, deep earthen undertones and roasted grains. Expressive and deeply concentrated while tightly wound given its low pH nature. A long lingering finish speaks to the purity of the extract. One of the best examples of the mineral tones informed by the growing medium of certain soils and a classic manifestation of the seamless tension between weight and energy from the sands of the Vine Hill Vineyard.
-
White Wine
2017 Chardonnay ‘Vine Hill Vineyard’, Kistler
£22500Add to BasketKistler Vineyards are one of California’s aristocrats and produce world class Chardonnays. They are some of our favourite wines on earth – real desert island wines!
Kistler is a single clone chardonnay house – that means one heritage Californian selection of Chardonnay planted across fifteen vineyards, from Carneros to Sonoma Valley, to the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. From those sites they produce eleven vineyard designate Chardonnays. Kistler is wholly dedicated to the ideal of wines of site. It’s an unparalleled approach in the new world.
The Vine Hill vineyard is planted in a pure sand soils and produces Chardonnay of precise concentration, energy and verve with stone and orchard fruit toned aromas capped by a penetrating minerality. It’s an exceptional example of the tension that can be created between density and lift.