Handley 2023 Gewurztraminer Anderson Valley

The Wine

Anderson Valley is becoming very well known for its wines from Alsatian grape varieties, the heady, aromatic wines such as Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. If you ever get a chance to attend the valley's white wine festival, it will be time and money well spent.

Classic aromas of rose petals, jasmine, and citrus blossoms. Fruity and full on the palate, with rich flavors of grapefruit, banana, green tangerine, and lychee, finishing with a spicy note of ginger.

The wine was divided and then fermented in a combination of stainless steel tanks and large format, neutral wood barrels for five months with lees stirring - the tanks amplify the wine's intense fruit and bright acidity while the barrels contributes to its weight and roundness. No animal derived compounds were used in the production of this wine.

This is a dry wine, with residual sugar of 1.8 grams per liter - below what most people are able to perceive. 13.2% ABV, 344 cases produced.

The Winery

The late Milla Handley was the founder and owner of her eponymous winery and an early wine pioneer in Anderson Valley wine history. Along with Ted Bennet and Deborah Cahn of Navarro and their neighbors at Husch, Milla started her Anderson Valley wine career in the mid 70's, attracted by the bucolic, independent-minded nature of Anderson Valley. Visitors to the tasting room get to enjoy more than the art of wine - they taste amidst samples of her family's extensive collection of tribal art, which is reflected on the label design as well. 

A force of nature, Mila passed away all to early due to Covid. Fortunately, she had already begun a generational transition to her kids and their spouses, so we hope to continue sourcing this wine for some time to come.