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*** Terrien
Chardonnay 2007
Sonoma Valley
13.5%.
Just fabulous juice! Definitely Burgundy like. Smooth, deep, long, interesting. Great precision. A really superb wine.
Not so easy to come by, unfortunately.
Resurrecting a 5-year old thread/tasting note…
Curious to know if anyone has any experience with this Sonoma Chardonnay?
I was not familiar with it, but had a couple of bottles of the 2008 recently at a restaurant. Pretty unusual for me to see a 10+ year old California Chardonnay on a wine list, and at $65 in a restaurant, it was worth a shot.
Long story short, it was shockingly great. I was with a large group (and responsible for the wine order), so did not take any formal notes, but this was very well received but everyone.
I looked them up today, and was further intrigued by this description on their website (emphasis added):
“In making this wine, clusters are crushed and allowed to soak for hours before pressing. The juice ferments with the addition of Montrachet yeast, which, like Old Wente, is itself a throwback to earlier California winemaking. Fermentation takes place in tank and the wine settles through the winter before descending to barrel for a full year. Neither malo-lactic fermentation nor new oak influences the flavor of the wine, and for this reason it is best to wait several years before opening. In time, the bright acidity gives way to the increasing weight on the palate while complex flavors emerge.”
Pretty unusual description for a cali-chard.
Across 6 vintages, there are hardly any notes on CT (but the few there are all quite positive). I would be interested to know if anyone here has any experience with wine?
Mark,
I’ve worked with Michael Terrien in various capacities. He used to make wine at Acacia and Hanzell and now works with the Molnar Family–Obsidian Ridge, Kazmer and Blaise, and Poseidon-- and creates his own wine…including a blueberry wine from Maine. The Molnars are managing partners of a Hungarian cooperage I used to represent so I used to see him a lot. I recall that he worked on a fishing boat that escaped the Perfect Storm.
Thanks Mel, that is great background. I found an article in the Portland Press Herald (Maine) that confirms much of the same:
(Note: he did work on the “Perfect Storm” boat with the famed owner Linda Greenlaw, but according to the article it was “years before” the actual Perfect Storm incident.)
I was able to get my hands on a 2016 Poseidon and a 2013 Terrien since posting this question. Both were very nice, with the Poseidon being a little more “typical” of California Chardonnay, with a light touch of the Hungarian oak evident. The Terrien itself seemed to have more layers and certainly more acidity. I now have a few more bottles which I will hide away in the cellar for 3-5 more years before trying again.
Ok, it’s been 3 years. Bump. 
Nice bump Guillermo. Michael participated in BD a couple of years ago, with a dynamic pricing model. I forget the vintage, but got a really nice chard for like $18/per bottle. He did another offer (not Terrien) that was also nice.
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That was the 2015. At least, that’s the one I purchased on B-Day. I last checked in on it earlier this year, and it’s drinking just great.
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That sounds right Nate. I think I have two bottles left and a couple of his other offer.
I will check when I get back from vacation.
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