Adversity 2021 Five Wells Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
New release from Adversity cellars and winemaker Russell Bevan. Limited. The 2021 Chardonnay has an amazing aromatic blast of citrus, specifically kaffir lime and Meyer lemon, with a hint of pineapple. The acidity is refreshing and crisp, never becoming heavy or oily. Despite the mid-palette richness, the wine remains light on its feet. The finish is incredibly long, lasting 30 seconds due to the high acidity in the 2021 vintage. The weight and glycerin on the back of the palate contribute to its fabulous taste. previous vintage 93 Points Robert Parker: "From a vineyard just five miles from the Pacific Ocean, at the opening of the Petaluma Gap, Adversity's Chardonnay 5 Wells Vineyard is all barrel fermented, with 60% done in new French oak and 40% done in stainless steel. The result is slightly greenish in flavor, with hints of struck match, lime and crushed stone at first, with some pear and melon notes emerging with air. It's medium to full-bodied, with a gentle, silky feel on the mid-palate and a long, velvety-textured finish... ...Adversity Cellars is the husband-and-wife label of Russell and Heidi Bevan. Sourcing fruit from some of the same vineyards he taps for his other labels, Bevan has turned out a bevy of high-quality wines. For those unfamiliar with Bevan's winemaking style, these are rich, full-throttle red wines made from vineyards chosen/managed for lower-than-average yields, picked at high levels of ripeness, fermented using a yeast strain originally isolated from Williams Selyem and aged in high proportions of new French oak—Taransaud and Darnajou for the Bordeaux varieties. Somehow, despite pushing the various elements to the max, the wines emerge with a delicious sense of harmony and balance." Adversity Cellars is a project from Russell and Heidi Bevan that is designed to showcase sites that have unique flavor and textural profiles from vineyards whose location forces the vines to struggle for their existence; forcing them to deal with great Adversity.