2012 Chardonnay Russian River Valley

Bright gold. Ripe melon, orange and smoky lees aromas are lifted and sharpened by a zesty mineral quality that becomes stronger with air. Fleshy and nicely concentrated yet lively, offering juicy pear and citrus fruit flavors and a sexy floral accent. The mineral note repeats on the finish, which clings with very good clarity and tenacity.

The 2012 Chardonnay is soft, rich and textured throughout. Lemon peel, sweet spices and butter wrap around the palate in a generous, inviting Chardonnay with considerable near and medium term appeal. An expressive, succulent finish rounds things out nicely.

The 2012 Chardonnay Russian River (3,900 cases produced) will be a big-time winner. It exhibits copious aromas of tropical fruit and buttery citrus, medium to full body and a flamboyant personality. It should drink nicely for 3-4 years. (Not yet released) Paul Hobbs has built quite an empire, both as a worldwide respected wine consultant and as the owner of his winery in Sonoma Valley. I reviewed his Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon cuvees in Issue 209, and on this visit I tasted through his 2011 and 2012 Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs as well as a few Syrahs. His wines consistently hit all the high notes, and Hobbs continues to be a serious talent. I particularly enjoy his Cross Barn, inexpensive Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The 2011 Chardonnays range from tiny productions of 138 cases for the Ulises Valdez to 3,600 for the Russian River Chardonnay. The 2012s all reveal the tremendous up-front fruit characteristics of this year along with surprisingly high average alcohols, and good fresh acids. Paul Hobbs has introduced two Cross Barn Pinot Noir cuvees, one from the Sonoma Coast and one from Anderson Valley. These wines use a tiny bit of stems during their fermentations, and spend four months in barrel, 15% of which is new. Tasting through these same cuvees in 2012 demonstrated just how gorgeous this vintage is across the board in Northern California. Tel. (707) 824-9879