This is a predominantly Balance & Finesse wine, but it shares structural nuances of Bright & Crisp as described in the tasting note below.
Tasting Notes
Medium plus-bodied with crisp acidity. The White Hill marries finesse and tension, showing a mix of lemon, ripe apple and pear, hay, floral, and white pepper notes along with an attractive minerality.
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
ACIDITY
Low
Moderate
Balanced
Crisp
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
13%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
An exemplar of the finesse and tension possible in Santa Rita Hills terroir.
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Chardonnay
100%Shar-do-NAY
Chardonnay may be the most versatile white wine grape, often seen as a blank canvas. It displays various flavors and aromas depending on where it is grown and more specifically, how it is made. It can range in Palate Character from Bright & Crisp to Rich & Full depending on the climate. It is also particularly malleable and highly affected by winemaking choices like as malolactic fermentation, lees stirring, barrel fermentation and ageing practices.
When founder Jeff Nelson created Liquid Farm, it was because while he shopped at local farms and dined locally, he found his wine glass was more often filled with old-world chardonnay as opposed to the overtly rich style more often found in his hometown Cali counterparts.
To accomplish his goal of making Burgundian-style chard locally, he sought calcium-rich soils, like those of Chablis and Champagne, which he found in the Santa Rita hills, where cool nights and warm days also make a long growing season. The name Liquid Farm speaks to his vision: "liquid from farming,” a philosophy of minimal intervention and truest interpretation of terroir.
The wines of Liquid Farm deftly balance intensity and nerviness, showcasing great fruit, minerality, and salinity. One of a select group of California producers that might make you rethink California chardonnay.
Lemon
Pear
Crushed Rocks
