2011 Failla “Hudson Vineyard” Chardonnay

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$52.50 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

Failla’s owners, Ehren Jordan and his wife, Ann-Marie, launched their family venture as Failla Jordan, but had to shorten the name after Jordan Vineyards took offense. Not to worry, they’ve been making highly acclaimed wines since 2002 under the Failla brand.

Winemaker Ehren has great credentials, though he does not have an oenology degree from the wall, he possesses a dense curriculum vitae, starting with working in a wine shop in Washington, D.C. followed by a stint as a wine steward in Colorado before moving to the Napa Valley. He apprenticed under Jean-Luc Columbo in France, followed by Helen Turley in California. Theses days he is GM, winemaker and viticulturist for Turley Wine Cellars. This talented young man is also an instrument-rated pilot on multi-engine aircraft.

Winery Tasting Notes:
“Arriving in early September from the rolling hills north of San Francisco Bay, this fruit was whole-cluster pressed into mixed-age French oak with about 25% going into a concrete egg. The concrete is an excellent foil to the barrel ferments, rounding texture and emphasizing aromatic purity. Bursting from the bottle, a mélange of Asian pear, honeysuckle, lemon curd and wet stone announces the 2011 vintage. The palate opens with a fresh, crystalline quality redolent of spring greens, before the arrival of a creamy mid-palette. Nervy, structured acidity makes for length and dimension on the finish.”

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