'08 Chardonnay Montery County

The 2008 vintage was a warm vintage in Monterey County. This aromatic Chardonnay opens with juicy tropical and floral notes mixed with overtones of vanilla and spices. Pure flavors of mandarin orange, lime, and pippin apple slowly move to delicate clover honey and caramel notes. Time in the bottle will allow concentrated tropical fruit and deep caramel aromas to develop.

Monterey County enjoys cool, foggy climate that is ideal for Chardonnay. Typically, bud break begins several weeks earlier and harvest ends several weeks later than other growing regions. This extra month of time on the vine allows the grapes to develop intense, complex flavors. Monterey County houses one of the largest AVAs, the Monterey AVA, which includes nine sub-regions, united by the cooling influence of the Monterey Bay.

Bridlewood Estate Winery’s 2008 Monterey County Chardonnay was crafted to emphasize the pure ripe fruit typical of the region. A majority of the fruit was harvested at night and in the early morning, keeping the grapes at optimum cool temperatures for fermentation. The wine was briefly cold settled and then racked prior to stainless steel fermentation, during which the temperature was maintained between 57-59º F. The majority of the 2008 Monterey County Chardonnay underwent malolactic fermentation, however, the more floral lots were not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation in order to retain the delicate attributes.