Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/326040
june 2014 / the tasting panel / 47 winery in 2002, has continued in the tradition of producing vineyard-driven wines that are the hallmark of the brand. A New Beginning Without a succession plan in place to take the winery forward, the Colhoun family sold Landmark in 2011 to Roll Global,a privately held, CA-based holding company owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick. The winery is now part of a distinguished portfolio of nine brands, spanning tree nuts to flowers, that includes JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles, FIJI Water and POM Wonderful juice. Chardonnay being the winery's hallmark variety, this was a prime opportunity to taste 2013 barrel samples with Stach, who has a palette of flavors, textures and nuance from doz- ens of vineyards within arm's reach. Not surprisingly, the old Wente clone shows up in the Flocchini lot that Stach and his assistant winemaker identify as having "the best mouthfeel." The intensity and elegance of the barely finished sample is telling; a rush of quince, stone fruit, apple, guava and nutmeg illustrate why the site is designated for the reserve wines. The green herb, tangerine skin and slightly honeyed flowers of the sample from the Sonoma Coast Cabral Vineyard point to the Musqué clone that Stach uses for complexity. He looks to the Central Coast and Bien Nacido Vineyard for higher levels of malic acidity, alcohol and more tropical fruit aromas and flavors to supply mid-palate texture. The 2012 Overlook Chardonnay (SRP $23) doesn't fall short. Ripe citrus aromas and a whiff of toast with pristine, crisp flavors of green apple, juicy stone fruit and plenty of length. Moving out of the barrel room to the open courtyard of the Spanish Mission-style winery, which was designed by landscape architect Morgan Wheelock to take full advantage of the magnificent views of the Mayacamas, the winery grounds are vibrant with color and the scents of spring. Given that the winery's single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottlings, such as the Lorenzo Chardonnay and the Rayhill Pinot Noir, can only be tasted at the winery, it's a view well worth finding. The history of the Deere family is embedded in Landmark. Overlook was the name of the Deere home that stood above the river and the original John Deere factory; Grand Detour Pinot Noir carries the name of John Deere's blacksmithing shop in Grand Detour, Illinois; and their Sonoma Coast- appellated Chardonnay is named Damaris, the name of John Deere's wife. The 2012 Overlook Chardonnay offers pristine crisp flavors of green apple, juicy stone fruit and plenty of length. "Since the acquisition by the Resnicks, we've made several improvements to the winery and the cellar," says Stach, whose production for the winery is now at 30,000 cases. TP0614_034-71.indd 47 5/23/14 9:23 PM