2022 Anvil by Forgeron Chardonnay
French Creek Vineyard has always been a favorite for our Anvil by Forgeron Chardonnay and this vintage is phenomenal. We love the nuanced flavor profiles that are notable in this wine. Each
year this wine has far exceeded our expectation, showcasing Yakima Valley fruit at its finest. The expression of fresh acidity and the warmth of new French oak gives this wine a long-lasting finish. The chalky soil of French Creek Vineyard excites us every year and we are proud to share it with you.
Beautifully crystalline pale straw in color with whispers of pear, quince and tropical notes on the nose. After a bit of savoring, baked apple and Asian pear flavors abound. The wine feels elegant and lush on the palate and finishes with hints of vanilla, oak and spice.
VINTAGE NOTES
Each vintage usually presents one nearly insurmountable, unforeseen challenge…in 2022 we had three! To start, we endured a very cold winter that ran into spring, making it the coldest spring on record causing late bud-break and included a very rare spring blizzard that had a very bad impact on vines that were finally into bud break at the time. Last, to contrast the very cold start to the season, Mother Nature brought extreme heat at the peak of fruit ripening, which is never good, especially following the challenges at bud-break. In spite of all this, when making fine wine, less almost always equals more. A smaller berry set, longer growing season combined with our incredibly talented and committed growing partners doing their thing, has resulted in an amazingly high-quality, extremely-focused, and seriously expressive vintage; one that wine lovers will celebrate and accountants will lament.
| Download Wine Notes |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
| Varietal Composition | 100% Chardonnay |
| Appellation | Yakima Valley |
| Vineyard | French Creek |
| Acid | 4.6 g/L |
| PH | 3.67 |
| Aging | 16 months in 40% new oak and 60% neutral oak |
| Alcohol | 14.20% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 02/09/2024 |
| Cases Produced | 112 |
FRENCH CREEK VINEYARD
Located 10 miles west of Red Mountain in the Yakima Valley AVA, this low elevation vineyard enjoys a south-facing orientation and consistent westerly winds that cool the vines in the
evenings during peak ripening which results in fruit with natural freshness and acidity. With a soil composition that is primarily silt loam with spots of clay, caliche, basalt, and river rock interspersed, the vines receive excellent drainage from the light annual rainfall. Planted in 1981 and sustainably managed, the deep rooted vines of the “Old Wente” block are able to provide consistently deep and complex flavors year after year. The warm Eastern Washington summers make this one of our earliest ripening sites and harvesting at the peak of ripeness allows us to retain the crisp freshness and lively acidity developed during ripening that complements the power and richness imparted by the old vines.
