Walter Hansel

Situated next to Dehlinger and Kistler in the Russian River Valley, their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are as good as any Californian wineries can produce. We find many New World wines overly oaky, jammy and sweet. This is not the case of Stephen Hansel's wines. They are relatively elegant yet retaining the essential ripeness of fruit we all find and adore in New World wines. All wines receive around 50% of new oak.