Dec 30, 2022
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Chronicle Wines
| Owner(s) | Mike Hengehold |
| Link to this site |
Proprietor Mike Hengehold founded Chronicle Wines to feature small lot Pinot Noir and Zinfandel from the Sonoma and Mendocino growing regions. Hengehold sought out two noted winemakers in their respective crafts - Ted Lemon (Littorai) with Pinot Noir, and Dan Cederquist (formerly De Loach, now Balletto Vineyards and Crew Wine Company) with Zinfandel.
The inaugural releases were from the 2006 vintage. The wines are primarily sold through a mailing list.
Articles About Chronicle Wines
Reviewed Wines
2007 Chronicle Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.8% alc., 492 cases, $35. Release date is February 2010.
Sourced from Castaldi Vineyard (clone 777) and DeMeo Vineyard (Pommard clone). Aged 10 months in 35%
new French oak.
·
The nose is a bit closed now but still sports delicate aromas of dark cherries, oak vanillin and
a touch of good barnyard. Juicy and bright on the palate, featuring raspberry and pomegranate fruits with a
little grit. Beautifully composed with supple tannins and bright acidity. A solid, well-crafted wine. Very good.
Reviewed December 16, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Chronicle Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
14.1%
alc., 556 cases, $48. Release date is February, 2010. This 40-acre
vineyard sits at between 800 and 1200 feet above the town of
Boonville. Soils are thin, rocky, and quite marginal. The vines struggle
to produce 2 tons per acre in the very best years. Lemon has sourced
fruit from this vineyard since 2001. Clones are Wädenswil and
Pommard. Aged 16 months in 50% new French oak.
·
Alluring scents of
spiced plums, blackberry jam, sugared apples, and echoes of oak. Very tasty
and charming dark cherry and berry melange with a hint of cola. Very smoothly
textured with gossamer dry tannins and a good tang on the finish. More elegant
and less tannic than the usual Pinot Noir from Cerise. Tasted fine the next day
from a previously opened and re-corked bottle indicating age ability. This wine strikes your heart.
Reviewed December 16, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Chronicle Wines Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 556 cases, $55. Released in the spring 2010. Clones
Wädenswil and Pommard. Aged 16 months in 50% new French oak.
Winemaker Ted Lemon.
·
Moderate garnet color in the glass. Lovely
perfume of red and black fruits and rose petals. Delicious and classy in
every way with soft, ripe tannins, an appealing earthy bent to the dark
fruit and a lengthy fruit-blessed finish. A polished wine of great charm.
Reviewed June 8, 2010
ARTICLE »
2006 Chronicle Old Vines Russian River Valley Zinfandel
14.7% alc., 448 cases, $28.
·
Aromas of dark red
fruits, raisins and oak plank. Plenty of tannin overwhelms the pleasing core of plum and black current fruits.
Very dry from the start to the finish. Decent.
Reviewed December 16, 2009
ARTICLE »
2006 Chronicle Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.0% alc., $35. Vinified by noted
winemaker Ted Lemon (Littorai).
·
Plenty of strawberries on the nose with hints of
balsa wood and oak. Pleasing berry and red current flavors with a touch of herbal
oak on the dry finish. Soft and elegant with supple tannins. Lacks nuance and
nothing really stands out.
Reviewed September 5, 2009
ARTICLE »
2006 Chronicle Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.3% alc., 495 cases, $35. An
appellation blend of fruit from McDougall Ranch (52%), located in the true
Sonoma Coast northwest of the town of Cazadero, and DeMeo Vineyard (36%)
and Castaldi Vineyard (13%), both of which are farther south and more inland in
the Olivet Road area of the Russian River Valley. Aged in 33% new French oak
for 10 months. Unfined and unfiltered.
·
Deep reddish-purple color in the glass.
The fruit aromas are very ripe, featuring raisins and prunes. The flavors follow in
step with a bold core of black cherries and blackberries, notes of root beer and
marzipan, and a sweet cherry lift on the finish. Silky textured with supple tannins.
For fans of a ripe style. Decent.
Reviewed December 16, 2009
ARTICLE »
2006 Chronicle Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley Zinfandel
14.5%
alc., 165 cases, $36.
·
Lovely nose of fresh black cherries and berries with hints
of pepper and oak char. Plenty of sweet fruit with herbal oak in the background.
Very smooth and suave with generous fine-grained tannins and a tangy lift to the
finish. Lighter in weight than the Old Vines bottling and more appealing to me.
Ageworthy. Very good.
Reviewed December 16, 2009
ARTICLE »
2006 Chronicle Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
14.3% alc., 240 cases, $48. Aged 17 months
in 50% new French oak. Lightly fined, unfiltered.
·
Black fruits with noticeable oak char in the nose and flavors.
Opulent cherry and berry flavors with flamboyant tannins typical of this vineyard. Still chunky and awkward and
lacks upfront charm. Check back in several years. Decent.
Reviewed December 16, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Chronicle Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.8% alc., 492 cases, $35. Release date is February 2010. Sourced from Castaldi Vineyard (clone 777) and DeMeo Vineyard (Pommard clone). Aged 10 months in 35% new French oak. · The nose is a bit closed now but still sports delicate aromas of dark cherries, oak vanillin and a touch of good barnyard. Juicy and bright on the palate, featuring raspberry and pomegranate fruits with a little grit. Beautifully composed with supple tannins and bright acidity. A solid, well-crafted wine. Very good. Reviewed December 16, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Chronicle Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 556 cases, $48. Release date is February, 2010. This 40-acre vineyard sits at between 800 and 1200 feet above the town of Boonville. Soils are thin, rocky, and quite marginal. The vines struggle to produce 2 tons per acre in the very best years. Lemon has sourced fruit from this vineyard since 2001. Clones are Wädenswil and Pommard. Aged 16 months in 50% new French oak. · Alluring scents of spiced plums, blackberry jam, sugared apples, and echoes of oak. Very tasty and charming dark cherry and berry melange with a hint of cola. Very smoothly textured with gossamer dry tannins and a good tang on the finish. More elegant and less tannic than the usual Pinot Noir from Cerise. Tasted fine the next day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle indicating age ability. This wine strikes your heart. Reviewed December 16, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Chronicle Wines Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
14.1% alc., 556 cases, $55. Released in the spring 2010. Clones Wädenswil and Pommard. Aged 16 months in 50% new French oak. Winemaker Ted Lemon. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Lovely perfume of red and black fruits and rose petals. Delicious and classy in every way with soft, ripe tannins, an appealing earthy bent to the dark fruit and a lengthy fruit-blessed finish. A polished wine of great charm. Reviewed June 8, 2010 ARTICLE »
2006 Chronicle Old Vines Russian River Valley Zinfandel
14.7% alc., 448 cases, $28. · Aromas of dark red fruits, raisins and oak plank. Plenty of tannin overwhelms the pleasing core of plum and black current fruits. Very dry from the start to the finish. Decent. Reviewed December 16, 2009 ARTICLE »
2006 Chronicle Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.0% alc., $35. Vinified by noted winemaker Ted Lemon (Littorai). · Plenty of strawberries on the nose with hints of balsa wood and oak. Pleasing berry and red current flavors with a touch of herbal oak on the dry finish. Soft and elegant with supple tannins. Lacks nuance and nothing really stands out. Reviewed September 5, 2009 ARTICLE »
2006 Chronicle Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
14.3% alc., 495 cases, $35. An appellation blend of fruit from McDougall Ranch (52%), located in the true Sonoma Coast northwest of the town of Cazadero, and DeMeo Vineyard (36%) and Castaldi Vineyard (13%), both of which are farther south and more inland in the Olivet Road area of the Russian River Valley. Aged in 33% new French oak for 10 months. Unfined and unfiltered. · Deep reddish-purple color in the glass. The fruit aromas are very ripe, featuring raisins and prunes. The flavors follow in step with a bold core of black cherries and blackberries, notes of root beer and marzipan, and a sweet cherry lift on the finish. Silky textured with supple tannins. For fans of a ripe style. Decent. Reviewed December 16, 2009 ARTICLE »
2006 Chronicle Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley Zinfandel
14.5% alc., 165 cases, $36. · Lovely nose of fresh black cherries and berries with hints of pepper and oak char. Plenty of sweet fruit with herbal oak in the background. Very smooth and suave with generous fine-grained tannins and a tangy lift to the finish. Lighter in weight than the Old Vines bottling and more appealing to me. Ageworthy. Very good. Reviewed December 16, 2009 ARTICLE »
2006 Chronicle Cerise Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
14.3% alc., 240 cases, $48. Aged 17 months in 50% new French oak. Lightly fined, unfiltered. · Black fruits with noticeable oak char in the nose and flavors. Opulent cherry and berry flavors with flamboyant tannins typical of this vineyard. Still chunky and awkward and lacks upfront charm. Check back in several years. Decent. Reviewed December 16, 2009 ARTICLE »