Handley Cellars/Randy Shock/White Wines From Anderson Valley

We feature Anderson valley frequently,and tell of the world class Pinot Noirs and sparkling wines.Today we will introduce you to a few GREAT white wines from Handley Cellars. Handley Cellars is a small family-owned winery in California’s Mendocino County. Bonded in 1982, we produce around 12,000 cases of wine a year. Our quality starts with our Estate Vineyards in Anderson Valley. We are located at the northwest end of the Anderson Valley on 59 acres of the original Holmes Ranch. Still standing on the property are the now-refurbished ranch house, barn, and the original water tower. At Handley Cellars, we offer a wide variety of wines that complement today’s diverse cuisines. Winemaker Milla Handley seeks to make balanced wines that possess distinctive varietal characteristics, wines that reflect the soil and climate in which they were grown. Handley’s beautiful tasting room is located 6 miles northwest of Philo, California, on Highway 128. We offer tours by appointment, and our garden courtyard is open for picnics. Stop by to try our selections and, while visiting, enjoy our unique display of folk art collected from around the world. Handley Cellars completed the CCOF Organic certification process for grape growing in 2005, because we believe that this helps minimize our impact on the environment and creates a healthy workplace for our employees. We’ve taken additional steps to support environmental conservation at Handley, which include running the winery on 75 percent solar powered electricity, installing an EV charging station onsite for our guests, and using non-toxic products in all possible aspects of running the winery. Handley Cellars employs minimal intervention in the creation of our white wines. Barrels are used to provide structure, softness, and to contribute to the overall texture. Our Chardonnay and Alsace varietals have found a unique home in Anderson Valley’s cool climate. we have a few wines we are going to open.Let's check out the tasting notes on a couple of the wines and decide what dishes we will want to go with these beautiful white wines. 2014 was a year of early harvests in Anderson Valley. The fruit for this blend came from two different sources: Helluva Vineyard in Boonville and Romani Vineyard near Handley Cellars in Philo. We pick the Helluva Vineyard at lower ripeness for its tropical fruit and herbal characters. The unique divided lyre trellis shades the fruit, allowing for heavier yields while limiting total sugar accumulation. We let the fruit in the Romani Vineyard hang longer to develop fully ripe characters. The north facing orientation of that vineyard and its cooler location in the valley allow us to fully ripen the fruit while preserving the acidity. The fruit for this blend was gently whole cluster pressed to avoid any extraction of color or bitter phenols from the skins. It was drained to stainless steel tanks and allowed to settle for three days before being transferred to other stainless steel tanks for fermentation. We inoculated with VL3 and Alchemy yeasts, both selected to accentuate the thiols which naturally occur in Pinot Gris. After initiation of fermentation, one third of the blend was racked into 500 Liter puncheons and another third to a 3400 Liter oval to complete the process. The wood allows some oxygen intrusion which aids in the maturation of the wine. The puncheons were stirred on the lees weekly to release the aromatic thiols and mouth filling glycerides. One third of the blend was allowed to complete fermentation in stainless steel to preserve the fresh fruit character and a hint of residual sugar to round out the palate. This wine was prevented from undergoing any malolactic fermentation and was sterile filtered prior to bottling. No animal derived products were used in production. On the nose, this Pinot Gris offers tropical aromas of papaya and banana, with hints of orange blossom and freesia. Flavors of grapefruit, nectarines, and creamscicle, with hints of butterscotch and savory spices accompany a crisp, yet creamy, mouth feel. This wine would pair nicely with a cold cucumber soup, gazpacho, barbequed oysters, or steamed mussels with garlic and butter. This is the 2014 PINOT GRIS ANDERSON VALLEY.Maybe one more,as the food just arrived! The Pinot Blanc was picked by hand and gently pressed whole cluster. The juice was allowed to settle for three days in a stainless steel tank and then racked off the solids to another stainless steel tank to begin fermentation. The juice was inoculated with VL1 yeast which was selected for its ability to enhance the terpenes naturally present in this varietal. A small amount of Riesling was blended in post fermentation to add structure and a hint of sweetness. Both the Pinot Blanc and Riesling were prevented from undergoing any malolactic fermentation to preserve their bright fruity characters. The wine was sterile filtered and no eggs, dairy, or animal derived products were used in the production of this wine. This Pinot Blanc immediately draws you in with its sunny nature and aromas of spring flowers, apricot blossoms, and musk melon, its signature fragrance. The aromatics are boosted by the addition of Riesling providing floral notes. The fleshiness and creamy texture is created by extended yeast lees contacting. It has juicy peach and pineapple flavors, along with the creaminess of Macadamia nuts. This Pinot Blanc shows stature and structure, all the way through its long finish, which leaves you with a pleasant lingering smack of Bartlett Pear. This is a good starter wine that works well with appetizers such as prosciutto wrapped melon, cheese platter, roasted nuts, or chicken salad.I'm READY!RANDY IS READY! Let's join Randy and enjoy these amazing whiote wines from Handley Cellars! Cheers! We are sitting down to dinner,please join us.