Bright gold, with open scents of yellow stone fruit, red apple, melon, and hints of toasty French oak, this Chardonnay displays the classic balance and bright acidity of cool climate, barrel fermented Chardonnay. Unlike warmer climate Chardonnays, there is a richness and sense of vibrancy that allows for current enjoyment but will also add complexity and depth with a year’s bottle age.
Chardonnay grapes were harvested in the early morning hours under cool conditions. Simply destemmed, pressed, and settled overnight to yield a low-solids juice which was then sent to French Oak barrels (20% new) for fermentation. Barrel fermentation along with concurrent malolactic ferment and 5 months aging sur lie has given us a bright, complex Chardonnay typical of the cool Russian River region.
2021 vintage started in mid-March with bud break right on time. A long, relatively cool growing season followed that was also very dry. Some fruit was thinned late season to reduce stress on the vines that had little water availability. The resultant crop was slightly lower than normal, but quality and flavor intensity were very high. Fortunately, 2021 saw none of the fires during harvest that had plagued the 2020 vintage, so growers were able to harvest entirely based on flavor and ripeness.
The Corazon del Rio Vineyard lies along the lower stretch of the Russian River, west of Healdsburg, in Sonoma County. The vines are on T-trellis and bi-lateral cordons and grow on sandy loam soil laid down by centuries of Russian River flooding.
Replica wines were innovated by Master Sommelier, Brett Zimmerman, and Legendary Winemaker, Ed Killian. Together, they evaluated the top-selling premium brands on the market and identified what makes them so unique and preferred. They used proprietary methodology to dive deep into the taste and aroma profiles such as oak, heat, tannins, floral and fruity flavors as well as spice and smoke. They used these findings to determine the best taste and aroma profiles for each of our Replica varietals.
Replica supports the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to conserve pollinators like butterflies – all while making wine of exceptional quality. Our label is designed in tribute to the beautiful Xerces butterfly, lost entirely due to human causes like the use of pesticides. We source from vineyards that do not use the harmful 'neonicotinoid’ pesticide which is directly related to harm pollinators and to the extinction of the Xerces butterfly.
Replica wine is committed to protecting our natural environment while providing you with delicious wines that have received the Clean Label Project Purity Award. We pride ourselves on sharing wines that are free of contaminants and evolved from the tastes you know and love.
Making great wine that is sustainably produced is what we’re all about. We believe good wine should be accessible to everyone. Our mission is to deliver high-quality taste and an environmentally friendly approach in every bottle of Replica wine. We use sustainable best practices and boast the highest purity rankings.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, 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
14.9% is rather high for a Chardonnay!
What sort of additions are made for this “replica” wine? I can’t help but think this is the invitation for some sort of spoofulated wine…
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2021 Replica Russian River Valley Chardonnay - $30 = 18.75%
“lost entirely due to human causes like the use of pesticides.” Nope. Extinction due to habitat loss and very limited range. Humans were involved, pesticides weren’t.
@DanOR This is part of what I work on - pesticides most certainly are part of the story of insect decline and pollinator decline. I don’t know about this specific butterfly, but generally speaking it appears there are too many small insults to insect health, including virus, bacteria, insecticides, global warming, artificial light, and habitat loss.
Or to put it another way…it’s complicated!
Arrived too late for us to plan Shabbat dinner around it. (Whhyyy is it always Friday arrival when we labrat, @Casemates? ) Anyway, we tried it cool room temp (about 67F), chilled, and in between, over the course of two days.
Appearance: pale straw color with no hint of effervescence. Scent: very light, maybe mineral, light stone fruit.
Palate: Dry, mineral notes, with a combination of apple/pear and maybe stone fruit?
My charming sweetie Leo says:
Nose: Mineral, honey. Flavor: The tartness of a dry chardonnay, but not the dryness. Notes of apple, some mineral. Clean finish. Flavors more pronounced when chilled. Honestly, for me, there’s not a lot going on here. Perfectly drinkable, but not especially remarkable.
My take: drinking this, I recognized what it tasted like: it’s the exact taste of what I get when I am at a favorite reliable mid-tier bar/restaurant and ask for the “house white” and the bartender says, “Chardonnay okay?” and I say, “Sure.” The wine I get is usually perfectly fine, and I’m not disappointed at the glass, but I’m also not gonna ask what the bottle was, and I’m not going to seek it out the next time I’m shopping. I’m writing this before I see the price point. If it’s good, and you like a chardonnay, go for it. If you want something stand-out amazing, this is not your wine, I’m guessing.
I delayed posting this because I felt like we were being a bit “Meh” about a wine, which is kinda on brand, I guess, if you think about it. I didn’t want to turn folks off it. I mean, we did drink the whole bottle. And like I said, if I ordered this as a house white, I’d be happy with it. Neither one of us was particularly impressed, though.
@TrinSF i think $10 is perfectly spot on for a meh wine. A price point you dont feel bad drinking or serving to others but also not going to break out for a special occasion
@TrinSF In my travels with USY on Wheels, they almost always had chicken for the Friday evening Shabbat dinner. Seems like Chardonnay would have worked with that, and wouldn’t have required a lot of “planning.” Of course, since these were youths, there wasn’t wine served with dinner, anyway.
Delinquent rat checking in, I blame medical stuff. And I wrote this whole post and now it went away. Sigh, will try again. I’m writing this before I read anything else on this site.
Popped and poured through a Haley’s corker
Nose:
Crisp apple
Light vanilla
Color: straw
Taste:
Bone dry
Explodes in your mouth
apples
Great acidity but also a little roundness - hint of malo?
A hint of spice
Paired with lemony zucchini spaghetti with chicken
Pairing is meh and I’m not sure why. Maybe the level of oak. With this level of acidity I thought it’d be a good food wine.
Varietally correct Russian River chard. Not a butter bomb but noticeable oak. Nothing particularly exciting about it though.
Hubby says:
Faint apple
Not sweet
High level of acid and for that reason he’s not sure he’d recommend
It’s growing on him with more air
Less acidity, more heat
Day 2: consistent, pleasant enough
This is a wine for your friends (or yourself!) who like restaurant by the glass California Chardonnay. There’s no shame in that assuming the price point is a good one. It’s well made and varietally correct. The acidity I found exciting as with this level of alcohol (14.9) many chards are flabby and I didn’t get that at all.
This label is very transparent that they are trying to “replicate” a certain style. I think lots of winemakers do this, they just aren’t as obvious about it.
This is a wine for your friends (or yourself!) who like restaurant by the glass California Chardonnay. There’s no shame in that assuming the price point is a good one.
2021 Replica Russian River Chardonnay
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $360/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, 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, Feb 13 - Tuesday, Feb 14
2021 Replica Russian River Valley Chardonnay
6 bottles for $79.99 $13.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $129.99 $10.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
14.9% is rather high for a Chardonnay!
What sort of additions are made for this “replica” wine? I can’t help but think this is the invitation for some sort of spoofulated wine…
@klezman fortunately it didn’t taste spoofulated at all.
So every time I open a bottle, I am forced to again mourn the loss of a very pretty butterfly? That would be unpleasant.
@bdb at least the bottle is pretty?
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2021 Replica Russian River Valley Chardonnay - $30 = 18.75%
These are the Stolen Identity Red folks
“lost entirely due to human causes like the use of pesticides.” Nope. Extinction due to habitat loss and very limited range. Humans were involved, pesticides weren’t.
@DanOR This is part of what I work on - pesticides most certainly are part of the story of insect decline and pollinator decline. I don’t know about this specific butterfly, but generally speaking it appears there are too many small insults to insect health, including virus, bacteria, insecticides, global warming, artificial light, and habitat loss.
Or to put it another way…it’s complicated!
Replica 2021 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Arrived too late for us to plan Shabbat dinner around it. (Whhyyy is it always Friday arrival when we labrat, @Casemates? ) Anyway, we tried it cool room temp (about 67F), chilled, and in between, over the course of two days.
Appearance: pale straw color with no hint of effervescence. Scent: very light, maybe mineral, light stone fruit.
Palate: Dry, mineral notes, with a combination of apple/pear and maybe stone fruit?
My charming sweetie Leo says:
Nose: Mineral, honey. Flavor: The tartness of a dry chardonnay, but not the dryness. Notes of apple, some mineral. Clean finish. Flavors more pronounced when chilled.
Honestly, for me, there’s not a lot going on here. Perfectly drinkable, but not especially remarkable.
My take: drinking this, I recognized what it tasted like: it’s the exact taste of what I get when I am at a favorite reliable mid-tier bar/restaurant and ask for the “house white” and the bartender says, “Chardonnay okay?” and I say, “Sure.” The wine I get is usually perfectly fine, and I’m not disappointed at the glass, but I’m also not gonna ask what the bottle was, and I’m not going to seek it out the next time I’m shopping. I’m writing this before I see the price point. If it’s good, and you like a chardonnay, go for it. If you want something stand-out amazing, this is not your wine, I’m guessing.
I delayed posting this because I felt like we were being a bit “Meh” about a wine, which is kinda on brand, I guess, if you think about it. I didn’t want to turn folks off it. I mean, we did drink the whole bottle. And like I said, if I ordered this as a house white, I’d be happy with it. Neither one of us was particularly impressed, though.
@TrinSF i think $10 is perfectly spot on for a meh wine. A price point you dont feel bad drinking or serving to others but also not going to break out for a special occasion
@TrinSF In my travels with USY on Wheels, they almost always had chicken for the Friday evening Shabbat dinner. Seems like Chardonnay would have worked with that, and wouldn’t have required a lot of “planning.” Of course, since these were youths, there wasn’t wine served with dinner, anyway.
@ddeuddeg Yeah, I don’t have anything positive to say about that. It’s winter.
Delinquent rat checking in, I blame medical stuff. And I wrote this whole post and now it went away. Sigh, will try again. I’m writing this before I read anything else on this site.
Popped and poured through a Haley’s corker
Nose:
Crisp apple
Light vanilla
Color: straw
Taste:
Bone dry
Explodes in your mouth
apples
Great acidity but also a little roundness - hint of malo?
A hint of spice
Paired with lemony zucchini spaghetti with chicken
Pairing is meh and I’m not sure why. Maybe the level of oak. With this level of acidity I thought it’d be a good food wine.
Varietally correct Russian River chard. Not a butter bomb but noticeable oak. Nothing particularly exciting about it though.
Hubby says:
Faint apple
Not sweet
High level of acid and for that reason he’s not sure he’d recommend
It’s growing on him with more air
Less acidity, more heat
Day 2: consistent, pleasant enough
This is a wine for your friends (or yourself!) who like restaurant by the glass California Chardonnay. There’s no shame in that assuming the price point is a good one. It’s well made and varietally correct. The acidity I found exciting as with this level of alcohol (14.9) many chards are flabby and I didn’t get that at all.
This label is very transparent that they are trying to “replicate” a certain style. I think lots of winemakers do this, they just aren’t as obvious about it.
Wow! Remarkable how close our assessments were!
My wife may not appreciate this, as she loves Russian River Chardonnay but is terrified of butterflies!
/giphy reckless-ferocious