2023 Walter Hansel ‘Cuvee Alyce’ Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, USA (750ml)

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:

Produced from the highest elevation and is a product of 3 clones; the Hyde/wente; the Hudson/wente and French Dijon clone 95. These clusters are extremely small and the berries are the size of BB’s; offering rich and flavorful wines.

TASTING NOTES:

The last of Hansel’s whites, the 2023 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce offers more clarity in the range and is lifted with notes of preserved lemon, apricot, honeycomb, and wet stones. It’s full-bodied, with a weightless, silky texture and elegant notes of hazelnut coaxing through the palate. It’s a very strong offering that should improve over the next few years. Drink 2025-2032.

– Jeb Dunnuck, 92 pts.

The 2023 Chardonnay Cuve Alyce emerges from the highest-elevation section of the vineyard and is planted with an assortment of clones, including Hyde Wente, Hudson Wente and Clone 95. Oily and textured in the glass, the Alyce offers lovely textural resonance within the context of the year. Orange confit, crme brle, spice and a kiss of French oak linger as the 2023 blossoms with air.

– Vinous, 92 pts.