In 1995, Clay Shannon discovered a magnificent piece of property in the hills overlooking Clear Lake in Lake County, thirty-five miles north of Napa’s famed vineyards. He quickly set out to develop vineyards, Clay’s vision was simple: "We wanted to grow the best fruit in the world,” says Clay, “but we wanted to do it in a way that made us happy living there... The landscape is rugged and wild, and so are our neighbors – we’re surrounded by wildlife. We’ve got ducks, geese, deer, raccoons, quail, golden eagles, bald eagles, wild turkey, chipmunks and bobcats that visit us regularly. We are also visited commonly by bears, mountain lions and elk."
Shannon Ridge is passionate about preserving their land, not only for great vineyard sites, but for the wild creatures which share the property. Their sustainability practices integrate a flock of sheep that clean the vineyards, remove the excess canopy, and reduce the need for chemicals, while providing natural fertilizer. “Sustainability wasn’t some philosophical concept;" says Clay, "it is the way we live our lives.”
All of October is dedicated to Shannon Ridge! This is review #2 of 8, and you can read all of the reviews I've done so far by clicking here.
Vigilance wines are crafted from fruit harvested on their 250 acre Rolling Knolls Vineyard in the volcanic soils of Red Hills AVA. The 2016 Vigilance Chardonnay is 99% Chardonnay and 1% Viognier from the Red Hills AVA in Lake County, California. 20% was fermented in new oak and 80% was fermented in stainless steel tanks.That's all the info that I can find on the winemaking, so I'm not sure about aging after the fermentation. It has an ABV of 13.9% and will cost about $14.
The color of the wine is a pale yellow with a slight tilt towards green. On the nose there's aromas of honey melon, yellow pears, apple, and vanilla. On the palate it's medium bodied with a rounded mouthfeel and balanced acidity. There's flavors of melon, sweetened pear juice, apples, and caramel. Then it finishes crispy but with flavors of that generally should be smoother like melon, vanilla, and caramel.
The flavor profile would fit better if it was heavier bodied, but it's lighter and crisper than it feels like it should be. That's not a slam, because if you want a good $14 Chardonnay with that malolactic profile going on but also isn't a butter-bomb then this is for you.
Shannon Ridge is passionate about preserving their land, not only for great vineyard sites, but for the wild creatures which share the property. Their sustainability practices integrate a flock of sheep that clean the vineyards, remove the excess canopy, and reduce the need for chemicals, while providing natural fertilizer. “Sustainability wasn’t some philosophical concept;" says Clay, "it is the way we live our lives.”
All of October is dedicated to Shannon Ridge! This is review #2 of 8, and you can read all of the reviews I've done so far by clicking here.
Vigilance wines are crafted from fruit harvested on their 250 acre Rolling Knolls Vineyard in the volcanic soils of Red Hills AVA. The 2016 Vigilance Chardonnay is 99% Chardonnay and 1% Viognier from the Red Hills AVA in Lake County, California. 20% was fermented in new oak and 80% was fermented in stainless steel tanks.That's all the info that I can find on the winemaking, so I'm not sure about aging after the fermentation. It has an ABV of 13.9% and will cost about $14.
The color of the wine is a pale yellow with a slight tilt towards green. On the nose there's aromas of honey melon, yellow pears, apple, and vanilla. On the palate it's medium bodied with a rounded mouthfeel and balanced acidity. There's flavors of melon, sweetened pear juice, apples, and caramel. Then it finishes crispy but with flavors of that generally should be smoother like melon, vanilla, and caramel.
The flavor profile would fit better if it was heavier bodied, but it's lighter and crisper than it feels like it should be. That's not a slam, because if you want a good $14 Chardonnay with that malolactic profile going on but also isn't a butter-bomb then this is for you.
QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $14
Rating: 3.5/5 = Satisfying / Recommended (what does that mean?)
The bottle used was supplied free of charge by Trio Wine Company for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
The bottle used was supplied free of charge by Trio Wine Company for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
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