2006 Chardonnay

Recent Tasting Notes

 In its prime. Green apples, citrus notes, perfumey, floral notes; well-balanced. Sweet fruit entry, sweet fruit richness in the mouth, drinking wonderfully. Enjoy now or within a year.

Winemaker's Notes

2006 began with snow and continued wet through the Spring with 26 days of rain in March. Early Summer heat followed by mild temperatures allowed the vineyard to produce excellent fruit. Our harvest came late and continued slowly with our last block of Chardonnay picked on October 3. After crushing, the juice measured:

The newly pressed Chardonnay juice resembles unfined, unfiltered fruit juice. The clearer the juice, the fruitier the fermentation will be, so we clarified the juice by settling it overnight at 50° F and then inoculated it with yeast. We used four different strains of yeast, each providing unique components of richness to the wine.

To add complexity and depth, we fermented 45% of this wine in French oak barrels producing a nutty, toasty aroma and greater depth on the palate. The remaining 55% was fermented in stainless steel tanks at 60° F to retain more of the grapes’ aromas of citrus and tropical fruits. After alcoholic fermentation, 40% of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, converting the wine’s natural malic acid to the softer lactic acid, adding a buttery character to the aroma and a rich, creamy texture on the palate.

Aged for nine months in French (82%) and American (18%) oak, then bottled in July 2007, the wine had:

Young, bright, fruit-forward, the 2006 opens with ripe pears, sweet apples and grapefruit zest aromas. On the palate, its creamy custard texture blends with toasty vanilla notes to add richness and depth to the wine. It has a long, soft finish that allows you to enjoy the wine's flavors and complexities. As the 2006 ages, it will develop the nuances of bottle bouquet that our older Chardonnays display.

September 2008