'08 Chardonnay Reserve

TASTING PROFILE AROMAS It opens expressing an aromatic bouquet of hazelnuts and cream soda. This chardonnay offers aromas of citrus peel and gives way to a blend of vanilla and tropical fruit accents when allowed to air. FLAVORS Full of fruit, with flavors of fresh pear, honey and lemony citrus tones, it offers a creamy texture. This wine is mouth filling with a long mid palate and clean lingering finish. This is a well balanced wine with moderate acidity and a reasonable alcohol level. One may choose to allow it to improve over the course of the next two vintages with an ageing potential of an additional two years. It has a lusciousness that showcases how chardonnay can be both, big and rich, yet soft and supple.

First we used low yielding Dijon clones from the Santa Luca Highlands bench in Monterey County. Secondly, we harvested on the first day of October 2008. This produced a dramatic increase in complex tropical fruit flavors without leading to excessive alcohol levels. Night harvesting by machine ensures that the fruit arrives cold and has already undergone 2 hours of skin contact, releasing additional flavor precursors before destemming and pressing. The wine was then racked to barrel and fermented in first, second fill ultra-tight grained 60 gallon French oak barrels to dryness using indigenous yeast. It was allowed to complete malolactic fermentation on its own over winter. Eventually we transferred the chardonnay to 158 gallon French oak demmuids with the only intrusion, stirring the barrels, monthly. We aged the wine “sur lie” for fourteen months.

The moderate acidity, richness and full fruit flavors make this a perfect wine for pairing with foods such as lobster, crab, abalone or a more casual fare such as pâté, fresh fruit and a variety of hard and soft cheeses.

Cases Produced: 730