"Everything in the right place"
2009 Hudson Vineyards Chardonnay
Holy Land for California Chardonnay
We're not ones to offer California Chardonnay. However, today, we break from this to focus on one of California's special places - Lee Hudson's Hudson Vineyard.
For years, Hudson Vineyard has supplied some of California's best and most thoughtful winemakers with grapes. We're talking the likes of Kistler and Kongsgaard, and California's new generation: Arnot-Roberts, Bedrock and Scholium Project.
Wines from Hudson Vineyard have formed the backbone of our California selection for years.
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This is all to say that Hudson Vineyard is one great place in California to grow grapes. The story here is part location, part Lee Hudson's and his crew's incredible dedication to farming.
Just over five years ago, Hudson Vineyards started making and bottling some of its own wines. When we tasted Hudson Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay, it surprised us so much that we couldn't help but offer it.
If California Chardonnays have a reputation for being heavy and slothful, 2009 Hudson Vineyards seriously complicates this characterization. It's a rich Chardonnay, for sure, but there's also a sense of balance and complexity to it.
Antonio Galloni sums it up very well when he writes that it's "loaded with flavor... with everything in the right place."
Hudson Vineyard is located in the Los Carneros AVA. Carneros has long been identified as a "sweet spot" for Chardonnay. Carneros is in the direct path of the fog and cool air that flows from San Pablo Bay. The cool air slows ripening and builds acidity. This push-pull between California sunshine and cool air creates Chardonnays with zippy glow and an ample layer of fruit.
Simply put: Carneros is one of the best and most distinctive places in the New World to grow Chardonnay. Nowhere else does opulence meet freshness the way it does in Carneros.
This, however, is only a small part of the story. The other part is Lee Hudson's farming. Talk to any knowledgeable person in Napa and Sonoma about farming and vineyard care and Hudson Vineyard is one of the first names mentioned. These are just beautifully cared for vines.
This shows in the wines. If there's a hallmark to Hudson Vineyard across the board, it's the way a depth of complexity is married to a brightness and dynamic impression across the palate.
There's not much left to say here. This is a special terroir for Chardonnay - that much is clear when you taste it. And for all of its pedigree, it's very well priced.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
2009 Hudson Vineyards Chardonnay
2009 Hudson Vineyards Chardonnay is in stock!
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