Red Tail Ridge Barrel Fermented Chardonnay

Aged for 8 months in French and American barrels, and Hungarian puncheons.

Located in New York's Finger Lakes region, Red Tail Ridge Winery is owned and operated by husband and wife Mike Schnelle and Nancy Irelan. As a former executive in charge of viticulture and oenology R&D at a large winery, Nancy strongly believes in sustainability. Not only is Red Tail Ridge farmed in a sustainable manner it is also the first LEED certified winery in New York. Everything at Red Tail Ridge reflects Nancy and Mike's attention to detail – the winery that they built from scratch to their limited production, premium single varietal wines. 

The bulk of Red Tail Ridge's production is Riesling, but Nancy and Mike have also planted several clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir alongside small experimental plots of Blaufrankisch, Dornfelder and Teroldego. Mike and Nancy's early efforts were duly noted by the press – they won several Gold and Silver medals, Wine Business Monthly named Red Tail Ridge one of its Hot Small Brands of 2008 and Eric Asimov the wine critic of The New York Times has lauded them for their efforts.

Lemon custard, mineral and lime zest in the nose, with more subtle notes of honeysuckle, peach and brown spices. Velvety texture mid-plate with solid structure and acidity. Flavors of vanilla, tart peach,candied pineapple with toasted nuts, backed by a nice spine of clean citrus acidity that extends the minerally finish.

Meat Pairings - Chicken Breast, Turkey Breast, Pork Loin, Halibut, Trout, Cod, Sturgeon, Oily Flaky Fish, Atlantic Salmon, Lobster, Crab, Scallops, Shrimp, Clams, Oysters (unoaked) Spices and Herbs - Tarragon, Parsley, Thyme, Lemon Zest, Marjoram, White Pepper, Shallots, Poultry Seasoning Cheese Pairings - Soft – Semi Soft Cow’s Milk Cheese and Goat Cheese. Vegetables & Vegetarian Fare - Yellow Squash, Peas, Zucchini, Asparagus, Sun Chokes, Seitan, White Mushrooms, Truffles, Chanterelles, Almonds