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Anaba, Chardonnay, Gap's Crown Vineyard

Other, United States 2009 (750mL)
$32.00
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Anaba, Chardonnay, Gap's Crown Vineyard


Wines from the Gap’s Crown Vineyard consistently command incredibly high prices from many of California’s top producers, which makes today’s offer a truly remarkable value. Technically within the Sonoma Coast appellation, which spans over 500,000 acres and delivers a vast range of microclimates, Gap’s Crown is a unique, beautiful vineyard site advantageously nestled in the Petaluma Wind Gap just west of Sonoma Mountain. This particular terrain channels in cool breezes that create a natural pocket of warm days bookended with fog-ladened mornings and nights delivering ideal conditions for Burgundian varietals to thrive. Enjoying altitude between 320 and over 800 feet, the grapes of this prized vineyard are able to reach full phenolic ripeness while still maintaining the crisp acidity necessary to the perfect balance of a fine Chardonnay. Gap’s Crown has undoubtedly become one of the most recognized and important vineyard sites for Burgundian varietals in California and this bottle is a superb reflection of that.
 
The name Anaba is derived from the word anabatic, a term describing a wind pattern that blows through Carneros where the tasting room is located. The wind holds special significance for Anaba vintner and innovator, John Sweazey, who is believed to be the first in Northern California to supplement power with a wind turbine. I recently paid John a visit at his winery where he enthusiastically shared that this particular wine was served at the White House. Rumor has it that this 2009 Anaba Chardonnay was also enjoyed aboard Air Force One. A special accomplishment for a boutique, relatively new vintner in Sonoma, but after experiencing it I fully understand why this wine was chosen by White House sommeliers. Anaba continues to grow in quality and notoriety year after year. This coming vintage should usher in even more exciting change with the addition of two of the most exciting winemakers in California, Katy Wilson and Ross Cobb, to the team. 

The grapes for today’s single-vineyard Chardonnay were gently pressed in whole clusters after which roughly half the juice was fermented in climate-controlled stainless without undergoing malolactic fermentation, while the remaining juice was fermented in a combination of new and used French oak. The resulting wine is a Chardonnay of pitch-perfect balance that rivals fine, aged white Burgundy at a fraction of the price.
 
This wine displays a rich golden core that moves to green and gold reflections on the meniscus, showing signs of its six years of maturity. The nose offers rich, creamy aromatics with fruits of dried pineapple, preserved yellow apple, lemon meringue, crushed hazelnut, white mushroom, goat butter and background aromas of dried vanilla bean and nuanced baking spices. The full-bodied, mouth-coating palate delivers a dense concentration of complex flavors reminiscent of the nose with additional notes of ripe pear, lemon crème, soft tropical fruits, crushed nuts, subtle chalk and well-integrated oak flavors, all of which is balanced by refreshing acidity. A crowd-pleaser for Burgundy lovers and California Chardonnay connoisseurs alike, this single-vineyard Gap’s Crown bottling just doesn’t get much better for the price. Although this wine is teaming at its peak right now, it should stay in a beautiful place for the next 3-5 years if kept appropriately. The quintessential bottle for an early autumn night, try it paired with this fall-inspired recipe for pork chops with apples and garlic smashed potatoes.
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Country
United States
Region
Other
Sub-Region
United StatesSonoma Coast AVA
Soil
Clay Loam with Rock
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
27% New French

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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