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Robert Parker comments on the wines of Walter Hansel
"If I were giving out awards for proprietors who combine remarkable humility with high quality, candidates for the top two spots would be Tom Dehlinger and Stephen Hansel...prices at this estate have not risen in over seven years and it is rare to see such reasonable prices for such high quality.."
February 2011 (Issue #193)
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 Walter Hansel 'Estate' Chardonnay 2010
REGION: Russian River Valley, CALIFORNIA VARIETALS: 100% Chardonnay PRICE: $59.00 /bottle FORMAT: 12 x 750ml AVAILABLE 5 cases DRINKABILITY: now thru 2020 91 POINTS - Stephen Tanzer (May 2012) "Yellow-gold. Aromas of peach, poached pear and honey are lifted by subtle lemon and candied ginger nuances. In a fleshy, supple and open-knit style, offering ripe orchard fruit flavors and a hint of bitter citrus pith. Shows very good intensity on the finish, which repeats the ginger and honey notes."
Also available in limited quantities:
Walter Hansel 'Cahill Lane' Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2010
price:$ 67.00/bottle 12x750
92 Points - Wine Advocate
92 Points - Stephen Tanzer
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The Story
 At Walter Hansel Winery, the emphasis is on low yields (which range from 1.5 to 2.7 tons/acre), precise viticulture and non-interventionist winemaking. Since all their grapes are grown on their own property, they can exercise strict control in the vineyards, four vineyard designated Chardonnays and five vineyard designated Pinot Noirs. These wines all vary in flavours, acid content, and to a lesser degree, texture. They are an expression of their individual soils, environment and clones. The vineyard designated wines are usually produced in quantities ranging from 100-750 cases
All of Hansel's fruit is hand-harvested, and it is re-examined again at the winery. Stephen Hansel makes an average of 9 passes through each vineyard including one pass just to pull the second crop. Each pass is time consuming and expensive but Stephen feels the vine rewards him with more concentrated flavours. The winery uses only natural yeast during fermentation. The Chardonnays are whole cluster pressed into French oak for fermentation. The primary fermentation is kept cool to slowly complete in 2-3 weeks. Malolactic fermentation can last until early spring the next year, resulting in beautifully balanced wines that combine complexity and finesse.
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