2012 32 Winds Chardonnay Spinnaker is sold out.

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  • 94 pts Wine Advocate
    94 pts RPWA
  • 92 pts Wine Spectator
    92 pts WS
  • 100 pts WineAccess Travel Log
    100 pts WATL
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2012 32 Winds Chardonnay Spinnaker 750 ml

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Ehren Jordan: San Francisco Chronicle Winemaker of the Year

In December 2008, Ehren Jordan was named the San Francisco Chronicle’s Winemaker of the Year. To say the least, the award was well overdue.

For 18 years, from 1995-2013, Jordan was the head winemaker at Turley Wine Cellars, authoring a whopping 52 wines that earned 95-100 points from The Wine Advocate. But for those who know and savor his wines, it’s Jordan’s versatility that distinguishes him from nearly every winemaker in California.

At Turley, Jordan’s high-scoring Zinfandels off of Rattlesnake Ridge, Pesenti, and Hayne Vineyards were big, bold, and powerful, full-throttle reds that flirted with 16% in finished alcohol — even as Robert Parker suggested an aging capacity of 20-30 years. But when Jordan launched the Failla label with his wife Anne-Marie, Ehren opted for cool-microclimate restraint, fashioning some of the most talked-about Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs in the valley.

Jordan’s newest engagement is with proprietor Ed Mascarin at 32 Winds. In a 2012 vintage that may never be forgotten in Russian River Valley, Jordan spread out the harvest for nearly one month depending upon the row, exposition, and location, bringing in just 7 tons of small-berry Chardonnay clusters for the 32 Winds “Spinnaker.”

Drawn entirely from Robert Young and Old Wente clones, whole-cluster fermented with only native yeasts before spending 11 months in French oak barrels (30% of which were new), Jordan’s 2012 “Spinnaker” blew the socks off Robert Parker, earning the highest rating of any under-$35 Chardonnay of the year. The tasting note below kind of says it all.

Brilliant golden-green. Pungent aromas of ripe citrus, baked apple, and pear, lightly touched with new-wood vanilla. Big, rich, and dense on the attack, infused with terrific apple-pear concentration, lemon tart, and anise. Despite being 14.5% in alcohol, the finish remains bright, firm and vibrant, arguing — as Parker does — for 5 years of cellar slumber.

94 points from The Wine Advocate. Just 420 bottles have been earmarked for our membership. $40 on release. Just $32 today — ONLY on WineAccess.