| Region of production: | Sonoma County (Mayacamas Mountain Range) |
| Winery Location: | Sonoma |
| Year Established: | 1948 |
Vineyard Holdings
Estate Vineyards (Sonoma Valley): 81 ha (18.5 ha planted)
- Zellerbach Vineyard: 5 ha
- Sessions Vineyard: 1.5 ha
- Ambassador’s 1953 Vineyard (original vineyard planted in 1953): 1.5 ha
- De Brye Vineyard: 6 ha
- Ramos Vineyard: 1.5 ha
- Day Vineyard: 1.5 ha
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Estate: Inaugural vintage 1957.
- Sebella‘: Inaugural vintage 2007.
- Ambassador’s 1953: The winery’s first single vineyard bottling. Inaugural vintage 2003.
- de Brye Vineyard: Inaugural vintage 2011.
Average Total Production
- 90,000 bottles
Summary
Hanzell was founded by Ambassador J.D. Zellerbach and named merging his wife’s name, Hana, with his last name. The Ambassador felt dedicated to produce the same quality of wine he came to appreciate as a member of the Chevalier du Tastevin and during his travels in Europe. The Hanzell winery was built as a reflection of the 12th century Clos de Vougeot press house. Plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay started in 1953 from Martin Ray (Mount Eden Vineyards) and McCrea’s Stony Hill Vineyard respectively. After the Ambassador’s passing, Hana sold the winery to the Day family in 1965. In 1975 it was sold to current proprietors, the de Brye family. Founding winemaker Brad Webb named his replacement, Bob Sessions, in 1973. After nearly 30 years, Bob officially retired but continued as Winemaker Emeritus, advising and consulting with the current winemaking team until his passing in 2014. In 2008, Michael McNeill, previously of Chalone Vineyard, took over as Winemaker along with Lynda Hanson, Associate Winemaker.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Chardonnay is hand-harvested and crushed, and juice receives two hours minimum skin contact before pressing. For a larger part of the bottlings 75% of the juice is fermented at cool temperatures in stainless and malolactic fermentation is prevented. The remaining juice is barrel fermented and undergoes full malolactic fermentation. The ‚Sebella‘ Chardonnay is fermented entirely in stainless steel, does not undergo malolactic fermentation and is aged in used barrel only.
Pinot Noir is hand-harvested, crushed (under 10% whole cluster) and sits in one-ton fermenters for a five day cold soak prior to fermentation. After fermentation is complete, the wine goes through a 10-15 day maceration before pressing. It then spends 18 months in 50% new and 50% used barrel.
Producer Website: Hanzell