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Donelan Family Wines, Chardonnay “Nancie”

California, United States 2014 (750mL)
$48.00
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SommSelect

Donelan Family Wines, Chardonnay “Nancie”

I think it’s time to acknowledge that the default image many of us have of California Chardonnay is becoming outdated. I say this having recently passed a case-stack of a Chardonnay called “Butter” in the local supermarket, but in the wine world I live in, I continue to be impressed by the energy and precision of wines like this 2014 “Nancie” Chardonnay from Donelan Family Wines.
We do not offer much California Chardonnay here on SommSelect, but when we do, it is guaranteed to be something special. There’s a live-wire vibrancy, rich texture, and depth of minerality to this Sonoma-grown wine that brings Premier Cru Puligny-Montrachet to mind, and as someone who probably drinks more white wine from Burgundy than from anywhere else, I don’t say that lightly. This is a California Chardonnay with real tension and crystalline purity, and in my recent experience, this is the new normal of the state’s top producers. The adaptability of this noble grape may well be unparalleled, and if you’d like an electrifying taste of an Old World style of California Chardonnay, this is definitely one to jump on. Even the most avowed Francophiles will be impressed, and I know whereof I speak!
In a relatively short amount of time, the Donelan family has made a big splash in Sonoma, especially with a series of critically acclaimed, single-vineyard Syrahs crafted in decidedly old-school fashion (cool-climate vineyard sources; ‘whole-cluster’ fermentations, modest alcohol levels). In addition to their estate vineyard, which totals 15 acres (mostly Syrah, with some Chardonnay), they contract with a carefully chosen roster of growers, including two on Sonoma Mountain who’ve provided the core of the “Nancie” Chardonnay cuvée since the wine’s inaugural release in 2009. This high-elevation Sonoma Mountain fruit is complemented with grapes from an old-vine plot in Russian River Valley and another cool-climate site in the Green Valley AVA. “Nancie” is an homage to founder Joe Donelan’s mother, and it is one of the most impressive California Chardonnays I’ve tasted in quite a while—it captures an essence of minerality I often find missing in New World Chardonnays, and is characterized first and foremost by its freshness and energy. This is not flabby, sweet, Real Housewives of Orange County Chardonnay, and it is emblematic of the new approach to this noble variety all across California.

Fermented on native yeasts and aged in mostly used French oak barrels, the 2014 “Nancie” is a shimmering yellow-gold in the glass and offers up fresh and perfumed aromas of citrus zest, yellow apple, green pear, peach pit, hazelnut, white flowers and a wet-stone quality that brought my tastebuds momentarily to Puligny-Montrachet. Again, its calling card is a terrific tension between its ripe fruit and its palate-whetting acidity, and as drinkable as the wine is now, I’d also like to see what it does over the next 5+ years. There’s a wildflower honey note as well, but the wine’s viscosity is well-moderated and the finish is crisp, clean, and floral. The oak influence, too, is extremely subtle, distinguishing it from any number of California whites that lead with their toasty/vanilla notes. I want this Chardonnay with lobster, and the attached recipe will be perfect with the density and creaminess of this wine. Serve just below cellar temp at 50-55 degrees in large Burgundy stems and maybe break out a 2014 white Puligny to taste with it side-by-side for reference. You’ll be intrigued by what you find. Cheers!
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Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesSonoma County
Soil
Mixed
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol
14.0
OAK
20% New French
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2022
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Brown Butter Lobster Roll

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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