Standing Sun Wines Releases 2011 Chardonnay, Le Blanc And Grenache Rose

Standing Sun Wines (www.standingsunwines.com) a family owned and operated winery specializing in Rhone varietals, has released its 2011 vintage Chardonnay, Le Blanc and Grenache Rose. The announcement was made today by winery Co-founder and Winemaker John Wright.

Said Mr. Wright, "We love our Chardonnay from this vintage, but in staying true to our focus on Rhone varietals, we are also very proud of producing a Grenache Rose that screams 'summer sipper' as well as a white wine blend (Le Blanc) featuring not one but three different grapes hailing from the Rhone."

A closer look at the newly released wines:
Chardonnay 2011 / 100% Chardonnay / Santa Rita Hills
This light, crisp Chardonnay delivers hints of green apple and sour fruit and was fermented and aged for 9 months in neutral French oak. Light, fresh palette is balanced with medium body, a slight aroma of nuttiness and a very smooth finish. 90 cases were produced. Suggested retail price $24.00. Alcohol per volume 13.3%.

Le Blanc 2011 / 45% Grenache Blanc, 35% Viognier, 25% Roussanne
Tierra Alta Vineyard, Santa Barbara County
This medium-bodied Rhone style white establishes its elegance immediately in the nose with a beautiful blend of tropical and stone fruit notes. Its purity shines the palate with crisp acidity, well-balanced bright fruit and clean minerality that lingers nicely on the finish. Fermented and aged in 100% neutral French oak for 7 months, 350 cases were produced. Suggested retail price $24.00. Alcohol per volume 13.9%.

Grenache Rose 2011 / Camp 4 Vineyard / Santa Barbara County
Featuring great acidity to balance out and provide harmony with the sweet notes, our Rose was fermented in 50% stainless steel and 50% neutral French oak for 7 months. Vibrantly colored with mouth-watering hints of fresh strawberry and watermelon and coupled with just a tad of spice. This wine clearly says: summer barbecues and pool parties. 90 cases were produced. Suggested retail price $20.00. Alcohol per volume 14.3%.
About Standing Sun:
Standing Sun (www.standingsunwines.com) was founded in Santa Ynez by the husband and wife team of John and Laura Wright in 2007. It is a true family-owned and operated winery as their young children Lauren and LJ also pitch in at Standing Sun.

John, a preservation architect by trade, spent 20 years restoring 200-year-old farmhouses on the east coast. When he moved to the Los Angeles area - a move necessitated by wife Laura career as an actress (stars as Carly Jacks on ABC's General Hospital) - John realized he'd soon need to "reinvent" himself, as in LA, if something is old they tear it down and build something new in its place.

The couple began exploring the region and quickly fell in love with the Santa Barbara area and the country-like lifestyle it affords. They relocated to Sana Ynez and it was there that John discovered his new trade. John worked with local winemaker Joey Tensley (Tensley Wines) to learn the ropes and in so doing discovered his love of Rhone varietals. Shortly thereafter, in 2007, John and Laura released for sale the first 100 cases of Standing Sun wine.
This year, Standing Sun Wines will release 2,500 cases of wine into the retail and restaurant marketplace, focusing on wines produced with Rhone grape varietals (i.e., Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Roussanne, Viognier), handcrafted in small lots from some of Santa Ynez Valley's premiere vineyards.
The fruit is sourced as vineyard specific varieties, each with its own characteristics and diversity. The resulting wines are pure, unmanipulated wines in the true sense of wine making. They also produce a very tasty Pinot Noir.

Now a full-time winemaker, John couldn't resist plying his old architectural skills to design Standing S