2020 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay 92 Points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Vanilla, Myer lemon, and red apple dominate the nose. Stone fruit on the front palate, with, with honeysuckle and green apple in the mid-palate. Creamy and smooth with a hint of oak on the finish.
Vineyard Notes
The grapes for this bottling come from what our winemaker lovingly calls the “heart of the vineyard” – a particular area on the eastern side of the estate that he is particularly attached to, which overlaps a few different “blocks” and amazingly, when outlined in a drone photograph, is heart-shaped.
Winemaker Notes
This wine is a “what if” blend. Playing with the 2019 vintage we tasted a trial or lab blend of the ten most delicious barrels of Hyde Old Wente Clone Chardonnay and fell in love.
Specs
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Chardonnay (50% Hyde Old Wente Chardonnay, 50% Rued Chardonnay)
Appellation: Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Harvest date: August 27, 2020
Malolactic Fermentation: 100%
Barrels: 100% French oak, water-bent barrels, 80% New Oak
Bottling Date: May 13, 2021
Alcohol: 13.1%
Acid: 5.5 g/L
pH: 3.6
Total Production: 335 Cases
2020 Iron Horse Heritage Chardonnay
Tasting Notes
Green apple, honeysuckle, mandarin orange, and vanilla are the predominant aroma of this vintage of Heritage Chardonnay. Creamy with good acid. The flavor of baked apple pie on the front palate transitions into vanilla with a hint of caramel flavors on the back palate.
Vineyard Notes
This bottling spotlights the Hyde-Old Wente Clone, which we call a heritage clone because its parentage can be traced back to the 1930s in California. It is a stand out on our site,
Winemaker Notes
The Hyde Old Wente grapes had at least an hour of skin contact in the press, mainly for flavor extraction. Fermentation occurs in water–bent French oak barrels, which we favor for their subtle oak impact. Frequent lees stirring, or ‘batonnage’ at least three times a week for over seven months, contributes to the long finish and unique mouth-feel.
Specs
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Chardonnay (100% Hyde Old Wente Clone Chardonnay)
Appellation: Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Harvest date: August 30-31, 2020
Malolactic Fermentation: 0%
Barrels: 40% French oak barrels
Bottling Date: July 20, 2021
Alcohol: 13.8%
Acid: 4.9 g/L
pH: 3.35
Total Production: 240 Cases
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 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 wine growing.” 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.
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2020 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay
2x 2020 Iron Horse Heritage Chardonnay Case:
6x 2020 Iron Horse Heritage Chardonnay
6x 2020 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay
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
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, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Iron Horse Vineyards Chardonnay Selections
4 bottles for $89.99 $22.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $219.99 $18.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
We got a bottle of the Heart of the Vineyard chardonnay to labrat. And, OK, look. In this life, there is dirty work that has to be done. Teeth to be gritted, crosses to be borne. Tasks we take on because they are necessary, even though we dread them. Things we do for the greater good.
Tasting a distinctive bottle of Iron Horse chardonnay (made from their favorite grapes in the vineyard, no less) is… um… not one of those hardship assignments.
I mean, seriously. Did you click into the comments section expecting to find a rat proclaiming that this wine sucks? Come on. All right, OK, fine, full disclosure, we are biased sources: we don’t enjoy standard-American-style Chardonnay with lots of butter and oak. Zero malolactic chardonnay is pretty much our speed. And like any rational human beings, we are obsessed with IH sparklers. I auto-buy them on the rare occasions when we find them for sale here. So this ain’t exactly a blind tasting. We still did our best to be neutral, OK?
And, guess what? In a total man-bites-dog plot twist… oh, for God’s sake, no. The wine is phenomenal. Duh. Of course it is. We uncorked it at fridge temperature and got green apple and honey on the nose, it almost read more like a sauv blanc or albarino than a chard. But that may have been the temperature talking. First taste gave impressions of salinity / ocean spray. Back of the palate I detected some very pleasing bitterness, reminiscent of gentian. (Mrs. Z doesn’t agree with that last sentence, FWIW.)
After the wine sat out a bit and warmed to cellar temperature, both of us found new complexity, with vanilla and perhaps some nutty backnotes. Now we can detect just the faintest bit of oak. Just enough to tease and delight, that’s it.
Mrs. Z says: “this reminds me of honey and sunshine.” (To be clear, it’s not in any way sweet – the honey is much more in the aroma and overall affect.). My comment back to her was: “this is a white wine you drink on a miserable winter day in order to give you a memory of what summer was like.”
This wine is exceptional, complex, delicious, and yet I think also pretty approachable, perhaps even for your annoying sister-in-law who only likes that one super buttery Chardonnay. Pour her a glass of this and see if it doesn’t open her eyes a little bit.
I wrote all this before knowing what the price would be, or if it would be part of a mixed case. And TBH, I would very possibly be in for a case even at like $30 a bottle. I have high standards for Iron Horse wine. At least six bottles in this case are guaranteed to exceed them. Now, if only it had some friggin’ bubbles in it…
Being sent a bottle of wine to rat is always a privilege; opening the box and finding Iron Horse is a delight!
The nose was light and citrusy, and there were some crisp overtones of green apple along with some very light and minerally aromas, possibly wet slate. It was the color of a very pale straw, and its legs were very thin and watery.
The initial sip was zippy; our tongues tingled with the acidity. My first impression was of a hint of lime, grapefruit, and apple. It had a very Old World minerality that matched the wet slate, similar to a German Riesling. There was some initial tannic cloying that didn’t last. As we sipped, the wine lost some of its initial bite and settled to hints of pear juice and Granny Smith apple. While the website says that it was lightly oaked, there was little to suggest that it was oaked for any long period of time. The finish was probably the least exciting part of the sampling; while the green apple persisted and there were some hints of vanilla, there were none of the caramel flavors suggested by the website.
This is an extremely delicate and light wine, and it needs pairing with seafood, or chicken in a light cream sauce, or with soft or mild cheeses. The dinner we had quite overwhelmed it. It is a much lighter bodied Chardonnay than the 2019 Iron Horse Audrey Chardonnay we ratted two years ago. At the posted price, it is a great deal.
Many thanks for the opportunity to review this wine!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Iron Horse Vineyards Chardonnay Selections - $50 = 18.51%
What? Y’all are buying this swill without waiting for that 92 point review… ha!
Heart of the Vineyard:
92 points. This subtle but deep wine offers pure Bosc pear and Gravenstein apple flavors on a medium to full body backed by gentle acidity. It’s well balanced, calm and cool, with little obvious oakiness. Best from 2024–2030. — Jim Gordon 11/1/23
Wine Enthusiast again, the Heritage:
93 points. Measured toast and oak spices add complexity to the aromas of this medium-bodied, alluring wine. The calm texture, ripe Bosc pears and baked apples satisfy the palate. This wine seems to grow and expand as you sip. — Jim Gordon 11/1/23
2020 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay
92 Points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Vineyard Notes
Winemaker Notes
Specs
2020 Iron Horse Heritage Chardonnay
Tasting Notes
Vineyard Notes
Winemaker Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$630.00/Case for 6x 2020 Iron Horse Heritage Chardonnay + 6x 2020 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay at Iron Horse
About The Winery
Available States
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, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Oct 7 - Tuesday, Oct 8
Iron Horse Vineyards Chardonnay Selections
4 bottles for $89.99 $22.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $219.99 $18.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2020 Iron Horse Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay
2020 Iron Horse Heritage Chardonnay
Yea! Buy all the Iron Horse!
/giphy thorny-hapless-market
This WILL sell out people
Was 2020 a fire
year on Sonoma?
@losthighwayz yes it was. The LNU Lightning Complex Fire and the Glass Fire.
Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay
We got a bottle of the Heart of the Vineyard chardonnay to labrat. And, OK, look. In this life, there is dirty work that has to be done. Teeth to be gritted, crosses to be borne. Tasks we take on because they are necessary, even though we dread them. Things we do for the greater good.
Tasting a distinctive bottle of Iron Horse chardonnay (made from their favorite grapes in the vineyard, no less) is… um… not one of those hardship assignments.
I mean, seriously. Did you click into the comments section expecting to find a rat proclaiming that this wine sucks? Come on. All right, OK, fine, full disclosure, we are biased sources: we don’t enjoy standard-American-style Chardonnay with lots of butter and oak. Zero malolactic chardonnay is pretty much our speed. And like any rational human beings, we are obsessed with IH sparklers. I auto-buy them on the rare occasions when we find them for sale here. So this ain’t exactly a blind tasting. We still did our best to be neutral, OK?
And, guess what? In a total man-bites-dog plot twist… oh, for God’s sake, no. The wine is phenomenal. Duh. Of course it is. We uncorked it at fridge temperature and got green apple and honey on the nose, it almost read more like a sauv blanc or albarino than a chard. But that may have been the temperature talking. First taste gave impressions of salinity / ocean spray. Back of the palate I detected some very pleasing bitterness, reminiscent of gentian. (Mrs. Z doesn’t agree with that last sentence, FWIW.)
After the wine sat out a bit and warmed to cellar temperature, both of us found new complexity, with vanilla and perhaps some nutty backnotes. Now we can detect just the faintest bit of oak. Just enough to tease and delight, that’s it.
Mrs. Z says: “this reminds me of honey and sunshine.” (To be clear, it’s not in any way sweet – the honey is much more in the aroma and overall affect.). My comment back to her was: “this is a white wine you drink on a miserable winter day in order to give you a memory of what summer was like.”
This wine is exceptional, complex, delicious, and yet I think also pretty approachable, perhaps even for your annoying sister-in-law who only likes that one super buttery Chardonnay. Pour her a glass of this and see if it doesn’t open her eyes a little bit.
I wrote all this before knowing what the price would be, or if it would be part of a mixed case. And TBH, I would very possibly be in for a case even at like $30 a bottle. I have high standards for Iron Horse wine. At least six bottles in this case are guaranteed to exceed them. Now, if only it had some friggin’ bubbles in it…
/giphy moving-crummy-person
2020 Iron Horse Heritage Chardonnay
Being sent a bottle of wine to rat is always a privilege; opening the box and finding Iron Horse is a delight!
The nose was light and citrusy, and there were some crisp overtones of green apple along with some very light and minerally aromas, possibly wet slate. It was the color of a very pale straw, and its legs were very thin and watery.
The initial sip was zippy; our tongues tingled with the acidity. My first impression was of a hint of lime, grapefruit, and apple. It had a very Old World minerality that matched the wet slate, similar to a German Riesling. There was some initial tannic cloying that didn’t last. As we sipped, the wine lost some of its initial bite and settled to hints of pear juice and Granny Smith apple. While the website says that it was lightly oaked, there was little to suggest that it was oaked for any long period of time. The finish was probably the least exciting part of the sampling; while the green apple persisted and there were some hints of vanilla, there were none of the caramel flavors suggested by the website.
This is an extremely delicate and light wine, and it needs pairing with seafood, or chicken in a light cream sauce, or with soft or mild cheeses. The dinner we had quite overwhelmed it. It is a much lighter bodied Chardonnay than the 2019 Iron Horse Audrey Chardonnay we ratted two years ago. At the posted price, it is a great deal.
Many thanks for the opportunity to review this wine!
@ejrunion What was for dinner?
Definitely in for a case.
/giphy overjoyed-foreign-calcium
Auto-buy!
/giphy orange-spectacular-sausage
@cduan Wow that gave some…interesting…gifs
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Iron Horse Vineyards Chardonnay Selections - $50 = 18.51%
Anyone in the twin cities want to split a case?
Houston - want to split a case?
@HOUSTONHOARDER Inside the loop
@HOUSTONHOARDER Sadly I’m not inside any of the three loops
@HOUSTONHOARDER i’m in montrose and i’m down for a split
@jadeallenx Ill order and you can pay me when you pick up. PMing you my phone number
/image balmy-godly-wombat
AUTOBUY!
What? Y’all are buying this swill without waiting for that 92 point review… ha!
Heart of the Vineyard:
92 points. This subtle but deep wine offers pure Bosc pear and Gravenstein apple flavors on a medium to full body backed by gentle acidity. It’s well balanced, calm and cool, with little obvious oakiness. Best from 2024–2030. — Jim Gordon 11/1/23
Wine Enthusiast again, the Heritage:
93 points. Measured toast and oak spices add complexity to the aromas of this medium-bodied, alluring wine. The calm texture, ripe Bosc pears and baked apples satisfy the palate. This wine seems to grow and expand as you sip. — Jim Gordon 11/1/23
fwiw
/giphy teeming-lifeless-brake
@HitAnyKey42 Heck no! Buy it all!
I’ve yet to try an Iron Horse wine that I didn’t like.
I could go for 4-6 btls.
Why is this not sold out?
@rjquillin
I don’t know, but I’m glad it wasn’t. I forgot it was friday.