2021 Amici Cellars Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard Russian River Valley 750 ml

Amici’s Tony Biagi—Vinous’s 2020 Winemaker of the Year and the guy who made Plumpjack Chardonnay for a decade—tapped one of Russian River’s top Chardonnay vineyards to craft his 2021 Amici Charles Heintz Vineyard Russian River Chardonnay. A bottle that critic James Suckling called “the real deal” in his 97-point review, it stands with the greats, including $150+ wine from Kistler and Aubert.      

Robert Parker once called Charles Heintz Vineyard “one of the great Grand Cru Chardonnay
sites in California,” and a “Murderer’s Row” of great producers—Littorai, Williams Selyem, DuMOL, Ceritas, and more—look to it for some of the Sonoma Coast’s most coveted Chardonnay. 

Originally planted in 1982, the site is special because it’s on the second ridge in the Coast Range, a few miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Here the buds pop early, and moderate summer days make for a harvest that typically happens in October. It’s truly on the edge of viability for grape growing, which is the key to great vineyards all around the world. Charlie Heintz and his team have been working this land for over 40 years, and they minimize yields in order to maximize quality.
 
Vinous’s Antonio Galloni called the 2021 Sonoma County Chardonnays “absolutely brilliant…It’s unquestionably a special vintage for Chardonnay.” Chardonnay lovers and collectors with this wine in your cellar, you’re going to delight in it for years. Here’s hoping you’ve got plenty to watch evolve!