Ironstone Reserve Chardonnay 2021
Overview
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The Ironstone Reserve Chardonnay is full of expressive flavors and aromas. Exhibiting fine mineral qualities that are a hallmark of grapes produced in the Sierra Foothills, the Reserve Chardonnay has an extremely concentrated tropical fruit flavor and rich body, with nuances of citrus, peaches, pears, stone fruits, vanilla and ripe apples. The nose opens with savory scents of caramel and vanilla followed by exotic notes of spice and melon. |
Wine Facts
VITICULTURE: Located at 2,400 feet above sea level, these grapes were estate-grown at the winery’s Hay Station Ranch vineyard, where warm days are cooled by the evening mountain air. This ranch has been in the Kautz family for four generations. Grapes have been grown in the Sierra Foothills for 150 years. And what started as a cattle ranch has now become home to over 100 acres of premium mountain vineyards.
VINIFICATION: This reserve wine was aged “sur lie” in new French oak barrels that were hand-stirred weekly for the initial four months of the aging process. It then remained in for 8 additional months in small French oak barrels.
INTERESTING FACT: The caverns that house Ironstone’s barrel-aged wines were hand-blasted by local miners, many whose families came to California in search of gold in the 1800’s. These caverns naturally remain at 60°F.
FAMILY: In 1926, the Kautz family began farming in the Lodi region and in 1958, John Kautz Farms was founded. In 1988, John and his wife Gail, along with their children, Stephen, Kurt, Joan and Jack, built a state-of-the-art winery and entertainment facility in the town of Murphys, the heart of the Gold Rush era, producing their first vintage in 1989. They followed this purchase with Bear Creek, one of the oldest continuously running wineries in Lodi, in 1997. Their vineyard holdings grew exponentially over the next 30 years, to 7,000 acres in both the Sierra Foothills and Lodi. Ironstone’s location in Calaveras County, affectionately known as the “Queen of the Sierras,” boasts mineral-rich, volcanic terroir, ideal for growing the wide range of varieties that run the gamut, from Chenin Blanc to Zinfandel.
VINIFICATION: This reserve wine was aged “sur lie” in new French oak barrels that were hand-stirred weekly for the initial four months of the aging process. It then remained in for 8 additional months in small French oak barrels.
INTERESTING FACT: The caverns that house Ironstone’s barrel-aged wines were hand-blasted by local miners, many whose families came to California in search of gold in the 1800’s. These caverns naturally remain at 60°F.
FAMILY: In 1926, the Kautz family began farming in the Lodi region and in 1958, John Kautz Farms was founded. In 1988, John and his wife Gail, along with their children, Stephen, Kurt, Joan and Jack, built a state-of-the-art winery and entertainment facility in the town of Murphys, the heart of the Gold Rush era, producing their first vintage in 1989. They followed this purchase with Bear Creek, one of the oldest continuously running wineries in Lodi, in 1997. Their vineyard holdings grew exponentially over the next 30 years, to 7,000 acres in both the Sierra Foothills and Lodi. Ironstone’s location in Calaveras County, affectionately known as the “Queen of the Sierras,” boasts mineral-rich, volcanic terroir, ideal for growing the wide range of varieties that run the gamut, from Chenin Blanc to Zinfandel.
Producer: Ironstone Vineyards
Region: Sierra Foothills, California
Country: United States
Wine Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 14.5%
Total Acidity: 5.3 G/L
Residual Sugar: 2.7 G/L
pH: 3.55
Region: Sierra Foothills, California
Country: United States
Wine Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 14.5%
Total Acidity: 5.3 G/L
Residual Sugar: 2.7 G/L
pH: 3.55
Press Highlights
2021: 93 Pts - Tasting Panel, Apr 20252013: ‘Bronze Medal’ - North of the Gate Wine Competition, 2015
2012: 91 Pts - Wine Enthusiast, Sept 2014
2012: ‘Bronze Medal’ - Calaveras County Wine Competition, May 2014
2010: ‘Bronze Medal’ - Calaveras County Wine Competition, May 2013
Ironstone Vineyards 2012 Grower of the Year, John Kautz Family, California Association of Wine Grape Growers, Jan 2012
Ironstone Vineyards, 2011 Best of Lodi Award, US Commerce Association, Sept 2011
Ironstone Vineyards 2014 Top 25 Most Awesome Tasting Rooms in California, IntoWine, Michael Cervin, May 2014