To put it bluntly, if you enjoy balanced, flavorful and complex Chardonnays, then Walter Hansel Winery should be on your radar... plain and simple! Winemaker Stephen Hansel crafts masterpieces year-in and year-out from his family's 75+ acres in Russian River Valley and his wines often remind us of premier cru Burgundy. The Russian River Valley is regarded as one of the best regions in the world for growing top notch Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. For that reason, it is not uncommon for prices to exceed $75-$100 for a bottle from some producers... but not this producer. Stephen Hansel knows that if wineries keep charging elevated prices, then people start to look elsewhere.
Even esteemed wine critic Antonio Galloni has written that "...these are some of the most fairly-priced wines readers will find anywhere in the world." So here we have somebody who makes wines from one of the best regions in the world, doesn't make the wines in large quantities, gets high scores from the critics and charges reasonable prices. There's not much more to want from this wine.
ANTONIO GALLONI 92 POINTS - "The 2023 Chardonnay Cuvée Alyce emerges from the highest-elevation section of the vineyard and is planted with an assortment of clones, including Hyde Wente, Hudson Wente and Clone 95. Oily and textured in the glass, the Alyce offers lovely textural resonance within the context of the year. Orange confit, crème brûlée, spice and a kiss of French oak linger as the 2023 blossoms with air."
JEB DUNNUCK 92 POINTS - "The last of Hansel's whites, the 2023 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce offers more clarity in the range and is lifted with notes of preserved lemon, apricot, honeycomb, and wet stones. It's full-bodied, with a weightless, silky texture and elegant notes of hazelnut coaxing through the palate. It's a very strong offering that should improve over the next few years. Drink 2025-2032."
Even esteemed wine critic Antonio Galloni has written that "...these are some of the most fairly-priced wines readers will find anywhere in the world." So here we have somebody who makes wines from one of the best regions in the world, doesn't make the wines in large quantities, gets high scores from the critics and charges reasonable prices. There's not much more to want from this wine.
ANTONIO GALLONI 92 POINTS - "The 2023 Chardonnay Cuvée Alyce emerges from the highest-elevation section of the vineyard and is planted with an assortment of clones, including Hyde Wente, Hudson Wente and Clone 95. Oily and textured in the glass, the Alyce offers lovely textural resonance within the context of the year. Orange confit, crème brûlée, spice and a kiss of French oak linger as the 2023 blossoms with air."
JEB DUNNUCK 92 POINTS - "The last of Hansel's whites, the 2023 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce offers more clarity in the range and is lifted with notes of preserved lemon, apricot, honeycomb, and wet stones. It's full-bodied, with a weightless, silky texture and elegant notes of hazelnut coaxing through the palate. It's a very strong offering that should improve over the next few years. Drink 2025-2032."
