Sonoma Cutrer 'The Cutrer' 2005
Founded as a vineyard company in 1973, Sonoma-Cutrer's foundation was built upon a selection of several key vineyard properties in the marginal benchlands, hillsides and rocky foothills in what later became recognized as the Sonoma Coast Appellation – an area with long, even growing seasons due to the cool and foggy coastal climate.
Initially, the company planted several different grape varieties. By the end of the '70s, Sonoma-Cutrer's Chardonnay grapes had a reputation for exceptional quality and were in great demand by premium wineries. Discussions about creating a cutting-edge winery took root, and Sonoma-Cutrer organized a cadre of wine experts, including Terrence Clancy, Brad Web, Bill Bonetti, Robert Haas, David Reid and Chuck Bennett. Under the guidance of this legendary group, the decision was made to focus on one wine: Chardonnay produced exclusively from Sonoma-Cutrer's own vineyards. Ground was broken for a new winery in 1981.
Over the next several years, a winery that is the envy of the industry was constructed at the Cutrer Vineyard, home base for the vineyard operation. Sonoma-Cutrer built prototype sorting tables and cooling tunnels to preserve the highest-quality grapes. In addition, Sonoma-Cutrer was one of the first wineries in California to use membrane presses to crush whole clusters of grapes and to construct a temperature- and humidity-controlled cave-like cellar for barrel aging. No expense was spared in the production of the wine.
Today, Sonoma-Cutrer's flagship wine, Russian River Ranches, is the number-one-selling Chardonnay in America's finest restaurants according to the annual Wine & Spirits magazine 15th annual Restaurant Poll, April 2004. For many wine consumers, the name Sonoma-Cutrer is synonymous with superb Chardonnay.