96pts The Wine Independent

The 2022 Fog Dance Vineyard Chardonnay shoots from the glass with energetic notes of grapefruit oil and lemon curd leading to hints of lime cordial, jasmine tea, and white pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers compelling tension with a chalky texture and loads of citrusy sparks on the long finish. This wine was barrel-fermented and aged in French oak. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. Fog Dance Vineyard is from blocks planted to Dijon 96 and ENTAV 809, located on a hillside in Green Valley south of the town of Forestville in an area noted for its nightly fog intrusion.

95pts Jeb Dunnuck

Ripe yellow/straw in color, the 2022 Chardonnay Fog Dance Vineyard comes from an estate site just south of the winery on fine-loam Goldridge soil. It’s ripe with aromas of gunflint on the nose, with deeper notes of melon rind and a hint of tropical fruit. Medium to full-bodied, it has a wonderful chalky texture and a weightless feel, with a lovely fresh, perfume that lasts on the finish. A gorgeous offering with a lot of appeal now, it’s going to hold on over the next 10 years.

93pts Wine Enthusiast

The nose of this Chardonnay brings lifted aromas of pineapple, pear and honeysuckle, while the palate shows bright citrus acidity, plush apple and a beautifully energetic finish loaded with flavors of pithy Meyer lemon peel, sage and river stones. Enjoy with fried rockfish or cod. 

92pts Wine Spectator

Butterscotch, lemon curd and dried mango flavors are powerful in their generosity and precision. Orange blossom and Fuji apple notes linger on a juicy frame alongside a drizzle of wildflower honey. Drink now. 246 cases made.

Tasting Notes

The 2022 Fog Dance Chardonnay displays bright aromas of citrus oil, peach pit, and orange blossom.  The flavors of mandarin orange, white peach, and preserved lemon meld together with a mineral-driven finish, reflecting in cool Green Valley terroir.

About the Wine

The Fog Dance Vineyard Chardonnay is sourced from our estate-owned, organically farmed vineyard in the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley AVA. This stunningly beautiful vineyard was planted in 1998 with Dijon Chardonnay clone 96 and ENTAV 809 on Goldridge fine sandy loam—a combination of decomposed sandstone and volcanic ash—and soil that’s highly prized by winemakers in this region.

This wine is among our small production, single-vineyard wines, and is named for the dance performed by the Pacific fog that drifts through the vineyards and back again to the sea each day. This wine reflects its cool Green Valley terroir, showing fresh fruit brightness and amazing transparency along with a refined, mineral-driven texture.

Winery Notes

'Hartford Family Winery was founded in 1994 as a result of Don and Jennifer Hartford’s appreciation for the wines, the people, and the unique vineyards near their Russian River Valley home. Located in the Sonoma County town of Forestville, the winery is about 15 miles from the cool Pacific Coast.

Making delicious wines of high personality is directly related to the difficult locations of our vineyard sources, the limited production of our bottlings and the varietals we use. “Character through adversity” is an expression that we believe applies to people and grapevines and surviving adversity builds character, and personality, in both.

Hartford Family Winery specializes in making wines from single vineyard sites. In recent vintages we have made about 25 different single vineyard bottlings. Small and low-yielding vineyards deliver expressive and personality-rich wine. Our single vineyard Hartford Court Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays total as few as 93 cases, up to about 800 cases. Likewise, our Hartford Old Vine Zinfandels are produced in small quantities. Our single vineyard wines are highly allocated.'