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2006 Walter Hansel Winery Chardonnay North Slope

Chardonnay: 750ml

$35.99

about this wine:

All of the estate grown Chardonnays are fermented and aged in Francois Freres French cooperage (40% new and 60% used), and undergo lees stirring and full malolactic. Hansel has added two negociant wines to his portfolio made from grapes purchased from the Diamond Ranch in Carneros and Feeney Home Ranch in the Russian River. Hansel told me that yields were dramatically reduced in 2008 because of the spring frost, and that explains why the wines have an extra level of power and concentration.

See Ratings and Reviews
points awarded:
WA 93 WA 91-93

91 -93 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2007

Not yet in bottle, the 2006 Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard is a fuller wine, stronger in color, with a deep ruby/purple tinge and sweet raspberry and cherry notes intermixed with some dried herbs and spice. This has some leafy characteristics in the background, and again a hint of pomegranate and earthiness. It should drink nicely for 5-6 years. A terrific source of sensational Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays made very much in the style of the wines proprietor Stephen Hansel loves the most, white and red Burgundies, this 80-acre estate continues to build on a brilliant track record of high quality wines offered to consumers at sensationally fair prices.


93 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2008

Slightly better is the 2006 Chardonnay North Slope, which displays crushed rock, white currant, and quince notes, a bit of pineapple and poached pear, and some hints of smoky nuts in a full-bodied, evolved, but complex style. This too needs to be drunk soon - 1-2 years. In contrast, the 2007 This is a source for very fine Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs at some of the most realistic prices to be found in Northern California. Like several producers in the Russian River, the 2006s out of bottle from Walter Hansel Winery seem to be evolving quickly and, by-and-large, are slightly less impressive than they were at the beginning of their lives. Nevertheless, the good producers have achieved noteworthy success in this vintage, and certainly Stephen Hansel should be proud of what he's been able to accomplish in that vintage. Moreover, the 2007s look to be a return to the brilliant quality of the wines produced here in 2005 and 2004. Tasting through barrel samples of all the 2007 Pinot Noirs, this looks to be a superb vintage for Stephen Hansel. Yields were very small, averaging about 1.5 tons of fruit per acre, so these wines reflect a level of concentration, but with the overt fragrance and good acidity that the cool growing season provided.


91 -93 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2007

Not yet in bottle, the 2006 Pinot Noir The North Slope Vineyard is a fuller wine, stronger in color, with a deep ruby/purple tinge and sweet raspberry and cherry notes intermixed with some dried herbs and spice. This has some leafy characteristics in the background, and again a hint of pomegranate and earthiness. It should drink nicely for 5-6 years. A terrific source of sensational Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays made very much in the style of the wines proprietor Stephen Hansel loves the most, white and red Burgundies, this 80-acre estate continues to build on a brilliant track record of high quality wines offered to consumers at sensationally fair prices.


93 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2008

Slightly better is the 2006 Chardonnay North Slope, which displays crushed rock, white currant, and quince notes, a bit of pineapple and poached pear, and some hints of smoky nuts in a full-bodied, evolved, but complex style. This too needs to be drunk soon - 1-2 years. In contrast, the 2007 This is a source for very fine Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs at some of the most realistic prices to be found in Northern California. Like several producers in the Russian River, the 2006s out of bottle from Walter Hansel Winery seem to be evolving quickly and, by-and-large, are slightly less impressive than they were at the beginning of their lives. Nevertheless, the good producers have achieved noteworthy success in this vintage, and certainly Stephen Hansel should be proud of what he's been able to accomplish in that vintage. Moreover, the 2007s look to be a return to the brilliant quality of the wines produced here in 2005 and 2004. Tasting through barrel samples of all the 2007 Pinot Noirs, this looks to be a superb vintage for Stephen Hansel. Yields were very small, averaging about 1.5 tons of fruit per acre, so these wines reflect a level of concentration, but with the overt fragrance and good acidity that the cool growing season provided.


About Winery

Walter Hansel Winery is located in Sonoma County at the southern tip of the Russian River Valley near the Sebastopol hills. It is bordered to the north by the Santa Rosa Creek and to the west by a tributary of the Russian River known as the Laguna de Santa Rosa. This location is ideal for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as the nights and mornings are cooled by coastal fog yet the mid-days warm up to perfect grape ripening temperatures. Temperature swings of 40 degrees are very common.


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