Walter Hansel Estate Chardonnay

All chardonnay is Estate grown in the Russian River Valley using sustainable farming practices.  The chardonnays are aged 10 months in French oak (a combination of Francois Freres and Sequin Moreau which are sourced from 3 different forests) with between 20-28% new and the remainder in 1, 2, and 3 year old barrels.  The barrels are stirred weekly for 1-2 months. 
 

Vinification:  The chardonnay, whole clusters along with de-stemmed grapes, are cold pressed for 3 hours; decanted in tank for 24 hours to settle heavy solids, then transferred to barrel for fermentation and aging. Batonnage or stirring of the lees is performed weekly until all fermentations are complete.