$ 60.00
The Helfer Vineyard is located in the Vine Hill area of the Russian River Valley. The vineyard’s densely planted vines require hand cultivation and yield more concentrated fruit than can be achieved by traditional California vine spacing. We bottle this Chardonnay without fining or filtration to preserve its finer qualities.
Happily, we are seeing the benefit of Don Helfer’s grafting over of most of his Pinot Noir to Chardonnay. This wine strikes a nice balance between old world and new world personality. Lime zest, star fruit, minerality/wet stones on the nose, enveloped by a fairly thick texture in the mouth with sufficient, enlivening acidity are the hallmarks of this vineyard. It is just a baby.
| AVA | Russian River Valley |
|---|---|
| Vineyard | Helfer Vineyard |
| Vintage | 2005 |
| Sizes | 750 mL, 375 mL, 1.5 L |
| Cases Produced | 140 |
| Release Date | Nov 2007 |
Judi Scherrer –
The Wine Advocate – December 2007
The 2005 Chardonnay Helfer Vineyard, which I believe comes from a parcel not far from the Kistler Winery, exhibits classic orange peel and lemon blossom notes, and again has striking minerality and a crisp, Chablis-like personality to its medium-bodied, pure flavors. this wine has a chance of being outstanding with another six months or so of bottle age. Fred Scherrer, longtime veteran who apprenticed for nearly a decade at Dehlinger, has been making wine from his family vineyard since 1991. Since leaving Dehlinger in the late 1990’s, he has been concentrating on building his own portfolio of artisanally-made wines. 89+ points. Robert Parker