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The January 2015 Internet-Only Auction Part 3
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Lot 766
Estimate: $160
This auction has ended. Bidding is closed.
Collection name
Reviews
95RP
"The 2007 Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon . . . offers superb quince, white currant, orange blossom, and lemon oil characteristics in its rich, pure, full-bodied personality. Hints of smoke and earth are also apparent in this brilliant Chardonnay. It, too, should age well . . . . Two brilliant young winemakers, Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton, are symbolic of both the present and future of California high quality wine production. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, with their own personal visions of wine quality formed by French and Italian experiences as well as their belief in the cool climate sites of Santa Rita Hills, they have proven time and time again that remarkable wines can emerge from this relatively new viticultural region. Their Chardonnays, which go through full malolactic fermentation, see very little new oak (usually one-third, but that has been declining in every vintage), and they are moving in the direction of almost 100% neutral or older wood casks. The wines are not fined or filtered . . . and also possess extraordinary freshness and acidity because of their terroirs. When I visited this year, Brewer and Clifton surprised me by opening a 1996 Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon, a 13-year old California Chardonnay that was as young and vibrant as any two or three-year old white Burgundy. It remains a subtle white wine with great complexity, freshness, and not a trace of oxidation or fatigue. I rated it 94 points, and it seemed to get even better over the course of the several hours I spent with them. This should not have surprised me as the first wines I purchased from Brewer-Clifton were the 2000 Chardonnays, which are as vibrant as they were when I took delivery of them upon release.There are five Chardonnays being produced at this estate, none of them large productions, with most of the single vineyard cuvees ranging between 1,500 and 5,800 bottles."
Region
White
Country
Score
"The 2007 Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon . . . offers superb quince, white currant, orange blossom, and lemon oil characteristics in its rich, pure, full-bodied personality. Hints of smoke and earth are also apparent in this brilliant Chardonnay. It, too, should age well . . . . Two brilliant young winemakers, Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton, are symbolic of both the present and future of California high quality wine production. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, with their own personal visions of wine quality formed by French and Italian experiences as well as their belief in the cool climate sites of Santa Rita Hills, they have proven time and time again that remarkable wines can emerge from this relatively new viticultural region. Their Chardonnays, which go through full malolactic fermentation, see very little new oak (usually one-third, but that has been declining in every vintage), and they are moving in the direction of almost 100% neutral or older wood casks. The wines are not fined or filtered . . . and also possess extraordinary freshness and acidity because of their terroirs. When I visited this year, Brewer and Clifton surprised me by opening a 1996 Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon, a 13-year old California Chardonnay that was as young and vibrant as any two or three-year old white Burgundy. It remains a subtle white wine with great complexity, freshness, and not a trace of oxidation or fatigue. I rated it 94 points, and it seemed to get even better over the course of the several hours I spent with them. This should not have surprised me as the first wines I purchased from Brewer-Clifton were the 2000 Chardonnays, which are as vibrant as they were when I took delivery of them upon release.There are five Chardonnays being produced at this estate, none of them large productions, with most of the single vineyard cuvees ranging between 1,500 and 5,800 bottles."
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The fourth-largest wine producer in the world, led by California. American fine wine is defined by ripe, expressive fruit and a spirit of innovation, with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon among the most sought-after wines globally.
The world's most versatile white grape, producing everything from steely Chablis to rich, oaked whites. Its neutrality makes it a mirror of terroir and winemaking, and the foundation of white Burgundy and Champagne.