2021 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Sourced from our finest estate-grown Chardonnay blocks at the heart of the vineyard, this blend is beautifully balanced with a bright bouquet. Finely tuned and expressive, it showcases unique terroir-driven flavors and superb craftsmanship.
The aroma carries inviting hints of sweet cream, mingling with the lively zest of key lime and the crisp sweetness of ripe pear. As it opens up, the wine reveals a well-rounded texture with soft, approachable tannins. Juicy stone fruit takes the lead on the palate, followed by subtle floral notes and a touch of tart pear in the mid-palate. A smooth, creamy finish lingers with a gentle hint of oak.
Artisanal Winemaking: All of our Chardonnay is handpicked and handled one lot at a time. Only as the grapes arrive at the winery do we decide how to treat them. Sometimes it is straight to the press as whole clusters. For certain lots, we simply destem, while at other times a cold soak might be necessary.
Precision Winegrowing: At Iron Horse, “Estate Bottled” means that the winemaking begins in the vineyard. Our location in Green Valley, 13 miles from the Ocean, represents the very best soil, climate, and aspects for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Our goal is to grow the finest wine grapes through what we call “precision winegrowing.” All pruning, canopy management, irrigation, and cover crop decisions are determined on a block-by-block (and sometimes even vine-by-vine) basis, considering both the vintage at hand and the long-term needs of the land. Certified sustainable.
For Sparkling and Still Wine, Precision Harvesting is Key: Our only rule is to make the best wines we can. We wait until harvest to decide sparkling or still, as the only difference is the brix level (or the amount of sugar in the grapes, less for Sparklings, more for still). Then winemaker David Munksgard considers berry size (bigger is better for Sparklings, smaller for still), the health of the canopy, clone selection, and even small details such as the relative dampness of the cover crop can make a difference. If necessary, parts of a single block may be picked on different days.
Specs
Blend: 80% Hyde Old Wente Chardonnay, 20% Rued Chardonnay
Appellation: Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Harvest Date: September 3rd, 2021
Date Bottled: June 23rd, 2022
Barrels: 100% New Oak
Alcohol: 13.5% v/v
Acidity: 6.0 g/L
Residual Sugar: <2.0 g/L
pH: 3.25
Malolactic Fermentation: None
Total Production: 96 Cases
2022 Iron Horse Rued Clone Chardonnay, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
The Rued Clone is a distinctive Chardonnay variety that thrives in Green Valley’s cool, fog-laced climate and renowned Gold Ridge soil. This ideal pairing yields a vibrant, floral-driven wine with crisp acidity, a luscious texture, and expressive stone fruit aromatics.
On the nose, delicate notes of honeysuckle, apple blossom, rose hips, grapefruit, peach, and warm spice unfold. The palate is gracefully balanced, revealing hints of muscat, red apple, and juicy peach. Vibrant acidity enhances its refined elegance.
Artisanal Winemaking: All of our Chardonnay is handled one lot at a time. Only as the grapes arrive at the winery do we decide how to treat them. Sometimes it is straight to the press as whole clusters, for certain lots, we simply destem, while other times a cold soak might be necessary. All of the Rued Clone grapes had at least two hours of skin contact in the press and were fermented in small, water-bent, French oak barrels. Frequent lees stirring or ’batonnage’, at least three times a week for over seven months, contributes to the full and creamy mouth-feel.
Precision Winegrowing: At Iron Horse, “Estate Bottled” means that the winemaking begins in the vineyard. Our location in Green Valley represents the very best soil, climate, and aspects for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Our goal is to grow the best winegrapes we should be growing through what we call “precision winegrowing.” All pruning, canopy management, irrigation, and cover crop decisions are determined on a block-by-block (and sometimes even vine-by-vine) basis, considering both the vintage at hand and the long-term needs of the land.
For Sparkling and Still Wine, Precision Harvesting is Key: Our only rule is to make the best wines we can. We wait until harvest to decide sparkling or still, as the only difference is the brix level (or the amount of sugar in the grapes, less for sparklings, more for still). Then winemaker David Munksgard considers berry size (bigger is better for sparklings, smaller for still), the health of the canopy, clone selection, and even small details such as the relative dampness of the cover crop can make a difference. If necessary, parts of a single block may be picked on different days.
Specs
Blend: 100% Rued Clone Chardonnay
Appellation: Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Harvest Date: September 9, 2022
Date Bottled: February 5, 2024
Barrels: 13% water bent French oak
Alcohol: 13.6% v/v
Acidity: 5.17 g/Liter
Residual Sugar: <2.0 g/Liter
pH: 3.41
Malolactic Fermentation: None
Total Production: 200 Cases
What’s Included
4-bottles:
1x 2021 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
3x 2022 Iron Horse Rued Clone Chardonnay, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Case:
4x 2021 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
8x 2022 Iron Horse Rued Clone Chardonnay, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Price Comparison
Not all wines for sale on winery website, $648/case MSRP
Iron Horse is one of Sonoma County’s most prestigious, small, independent, estate, family-owned wineries located in cool, foggy Green Valley. Iron Horse Sparkling Wines have been served at the White House for five consecutive presidential administrations, beginning with the Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meeting in Geneva on November 20, 1985, which led to the end of the Cold War. Wine & Spirits Magazine has named Iron Horse Sparkling Winery of the Year nine times. From the beginning, Robert Parker has said, “These impressive Sparkling Wines…possess more texture and flavor than just about any sparkler I have tasted from California.”
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Got a nice surprise email late Monday from Terry that I would be receiving a Casemates surprise - happy to see a crowd favorite of Iron Horse, which I have actually never had.
Side note, one of my favorite literary characters, a hit man from the Robert Parker “Spenser” series by the name of, “Hawk”, only drinks Iron Horse sparkling- too bad it wasn’t one of those… but this did not disappoint.
Full disclosure, I like my whites a bit warmer (my wife puts ice in hers, I still love her). If they are colder, I feel like they are a bit muted. I tasted this out of the fridge, and on the counter for about an hour.
PnP, very light in color, no legs, nose almost nothing, but as it warmed up, lychee. First taste, crisp, stone fruit. As it warmed I got a lot of honeysuckle. A very nice mouthfeel throughout, almost velvety.
As a very oaky chardonnay drinker, this is not it. But I am a fan. It is delicious and I will probably be buying to have on stock for the holidays (crossing my fingers on shipping) . Knowing Casemates pricing, I am sure it will be a steal. (guess what, it is).
2021 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Specs
2022 Iron Horse Rued Clone Chardonnay, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not all wines for sale on winery website, $648/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 8 - Tuesday, Dec 9
Iron Horse Chardonnays
4 bottles for $89.99 $22.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2021 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay
2022 Iron Horse Rued Clone Chardonnay
Iron Horse 2022 Rued Clone Chardonnay
Got a nice surprise email late Monday from Terry that I would be receiving a Casemates surprise - happy to see a crowd favorite of Iron Horse, which I have actually never had.
Side note, one of my favorite literary characters, a hit man from the Robert Parker “Spenser” series by the name of, “Hawk”, only drinks Iron Horse sparkling- too bad it wasn’t one of those… but this did not disappoint.
Full disclosure, I like my whites a bit warmer (my wife puts ice in hers, I still love her). If they are colder, I feel like they are a bit muted. I tasted this out of the fridge, and on the counter for about an hour.
PnP, very light in color, no legs, nose almost nothing, but as it warmed up, lychee. First taste, crisp, stone fruit. As it warmed I got a lot of honeysuckle. A very nice mouthfeel throughout, almost velvety.
As a very oaky chardonnay drinker, this is not it. But I am a fan. It is delicious and I will probably be buying to have on stock for the holidays (crossing my fingers on shipping) . Knowing Casemates pricing, I am sure it will be a steal. (guess what, it is).
Thanks for the opportunity!
I love Iron Horse Chardonnays. i have spoken. (Mandalorian reference)