The Vineyards:

An unoaked Chardonnay shows nothing but pure varietal character without any oak attributes to mask the fruit’s qualities and nuances. Knowing this, we chose grapes from the Gerbeth-Hotchkiss Block, in the Russian River Valley, where coastal fog blankets the vineyards from dusk until dawn and warm afternoons slowly ripen the fruit for maximum flavor development. This block contains clones 15 and 96. Clone 15, planted on the top of a north facing slope, is known for its low yields and tropical fruit flavors. Clone 96, planted just below, is from Dijon, France, and is a favorite of winemakers due to its characteristic minerality and refined structure. The best attributes of each clone create a wonderful example of a pure varietal Chardonnay!

The Vintage:

In 2007 we had a split harvest vintage. Initially, there were warm constant temperatures which spurred on early ripening varieties such as Chardonnay. The steady warm temperatures secured a healthy fruit set and developed fruit maturity evenly across differing vineyard locales. A cool stretch then slowed ripening and allowed a break from harvesting. As a result, the grapes were picked in small lots starting on September 20 and ending October 4th. The yields were consistent with averages, and were very high quality.

The grapes were hand-harvested and whole-cluster pressed in small lots. A particular strain of yeast was used that accentuates fresh fruit flavors and creates a full, plush mouth feel without barrel fermentation. This wine retained most of its malic acid; we elected not to allow full malolactic fermentation because of the lower native acidity in the fruit this year.

Winemaker's Notes

This wine has a beautiful lightly golden color. The cool maritime growing region helped concentrate flavors while providing ripe flavors characteristic of a well balanced vintage in a premier viticulture region. The acid acts as the backbone and is fleshed out by a soft body of golden delicious apples, apricots and hints of mineral. Although elegant enough to be enjoyed alone, this wine shines when paired with roasted chicken, seared scallops or niçoise salad.