Reverses Itself, No Apology
TASTING NOTES:
2022 Forchini Vineyard, Russian River Valley - “Subtle aromas of fresh squeezed lemon mingle with traces of butterscotch. Reminiscent of a classic Chablis, this Chardonnay offers luscious yet delicate flavors that envelope the palate with the perfect balance of fruit and an inviting minerally saline essence. A mix of Lisbon lemon, green apple, lime peel and mandarin is woven with hints of mouthwatering minerality. The citrus flavors linger long, giving extra moments to savor the wine.” (AbV 14.1%, pH 3.25, TA 0.74g/100ml)
2023 Forchini Vineyard, Russian River Valley - “This chardonnay comes from a small block in the Russian River Valley grown by longtime grape grower Andrew Forchini. Fermented cold and slow in a combination of barrels, a rich and zesty white.” (AbV 12.7%)
VARIETALS: 100% Chardonnay
BARRELS: 8 months 16% new French oak barrels, 17% 2-year-old French Acacia barrels, 67% 5-8 year-old neutral oak barrels
PAIRS WITH: Oysters on the half shell, Hamachi sashimi, or seared scallops served on a bed of lemon risotto
THAT REMINDS ME OF: Forchini Vineyard, the source of these grapes, shares its name with the Italian word forcina — a hairpin.
The hairpin turn. Few things in the physical world are as casually, almost rudely, dramatic. You’re driving along a mountain road, minding your own business, enjoying the view, and then the road just reverses itself. No apology. No warning beyond a yellow diamond sign with a squiggly arrow that somehow undersells the whole experience. You brake, you crank the wheel, you briefly become a person who is driving in the opposite direction. Roads in normal life don’t do this. Normal roads have the decency to gradually suggest a new direction. The hairpin just commits.
The most famous hairpins in the world are on racing circuits, where they exist specifically to humble fast cars and faster drivers. Loews Corner in Monaco. La Source at Spa. The Hairpin at Road America in Wisconsin, which race drivers apparently just call “the Hairpin” because what else would you call it. These are the points in a race where something always happens — a pass, a mistake, a moment of either genius or hubris playing out in about four seconds of hard braking and careful rotation. Engineers design the rest of the circuit; the hairpin designs the character of the race. It’s the punctuation mark that makes the sentence make sense.
