The 2009 Chardonnay South River is also fashioned from the Hanzell and old Wente clones. It exhibits more roasted hazelnut and tropical fruit characteristics intermixed with a hint of peaches and a stony component that adds to the wine’s minerality. This full-bodied, floral Chardonnay should drink well for 5-6 years or longer. Tom Rochioli is about as reliable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. One can quibble over whether or not he makes too many cuvees of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but no one doubts that this is a fabulous estate. The wines all come from separate blocks and they offer an education in how different clones perform in sites with different expositions and micro-climates. Rochioli told me that he had no difficulty achieving full ripeness with his 2009 Pinot Noirs. The wines combine freshness and elegance with substantial flavor authority. That is evident across the board with his generic Pinot as well as the five single vineyard offerings. All these Pinots tend to be made primarily from the newer Dijon clones.Tel. (707) 433-2305; Fax (707) 433-2358