The 2010 Chardonnay Sweetwater is one of the more focused wines in this lineup. Clean veins of minerality run through the wine, giving it energy and a sense of forward direction that is impossible to miss. Once again, the aromas and flavors are fairly bright and tend towards the citrus end of the spectrum, while the wine’s breadth and volume are quite large. This is a flat-out impeccable wine from start to finish. This parcel is planted with the Wente clone Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018.
I came away deeply impressed by the wines I tasted with Tom Rochioli. The 2010 Chardonnays are absolutely gorgeous. The cold, late-harvest provides a wonderful balance to the inherent richness that is typically present in the wines. Rochioli is one of the later growers to pick. The 2010 Chardonnays were fermented in barrel. Rochioli stirred the lees every week until January, then once every few weeks until the wines were moved to tank in July. The wines spent three weeks in tank and were bottled in August 2011. The Pinot Noirs are stunning in both 2009 and 2010. As is the case throughout the Sonoma Coast, the 2009s are more consistent across the board, but the best 2010s may very well prove to be superior. For now what is certain is that the 2010 Pinots show a level of verve and focus that is missing from the 2009s. Either way, it’s hard to go wrong with any of these big, exuberant Pinots. Tom Rochioli is a bit of recluse, which means his wines remain known only to a relatively small group of consumers. Prices are very reasonable considering the quality of what is in the bottle.
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