Walter Hansel - Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce 2020 (750ml)

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Producer	Walter Hansel
Country	United States
Region	Sonoma
Subregion	Russian River Valley
Varietal	Chardonnay
Vintage	2020
Sku	30232
Size	750ml

  

JD

94

V

94

Walter Hansel Winery, founded by wine enthusiast Walter Hansel in 1978 with 250 vines, is now run by his son Stephen. Guided by Tom Rochioli, Stephen aims to produce Burgundian-styled Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Russian River Valley. The winery focuses on low yields for complexity, using hand-harvested grapes from their own vineyards planted with carefully selected Pinot and Chardonnay clones. Their meticulous process includes multiple vineyard passes, natural yeast fermentation, minimal fining and filtration, and aging in a mix of one- and two-year-old oak barrels, resulting in concentrated flavors and high-quality wines.

Alyce tends to be the most oppulent of the Chardonnays from Walter Hansel with beautiful depth and richness.

The 2021 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce is gorgeous and lush, pouring a saturated golden hue, and is forward with aromas of baked golden apple, preserve lemon, toasted spice, and pine resin. Rounded and packed with glycerol-like texture, this full-bodied white is ample but lifts cleanly off the palate with a long finish, leaving behind a mouthwatering hint of salinity. Allow it another 6 months to a year in the cellar and drink 2024-2032.

This is a gorgeous set of Chardonnays from Stephen Hansel. The 2021s are bright and full of the textural nuance that is such a signature in the vintage. These whites remain archetypes for the Russian River Valley. Hansel also turned out brilliant 2021 Pinots that confirm all the promise I sensed in the tank samples just prior to bottling. The 2021s are deep, beautifully perfumed and super-expressive. Readers will find a collection of Russian River Pinots that offers a compelling mix of fruit intensity and energy. These are among the very finest Pinots I can remember tasting here. Best of all, the wines remain exceedingly fairly priced, especially in today’s environment.