HARVESTED: September 5th – 17th, 2019
VINEYARD: Santa Cruz Mountains
SOILS: loamy clay
BOTTLED: May 2020, 480 cases
COMPOSITION: 100% Chardonnay
ALCOHOL: 13.7%
WINEMAKER: Charlie Miller
VINTAGE NOTES
Spring was long and cold with plenty of rain throughout the region. For those vineyards that started bloom after the rains, the crop was very strong. Everything seemed to come late – from bloom to budbreak and right on through varaison. Ripening came about at a snail’s pace, ultimately making for wines with great flavor at lower alcohol levels.
WINEMAKING NOTES
Grape clusters were hand-picked, sorted, and destemmed. The fruit sat on the skins for anywhere from 1 to 5 hours before gently basket pressing to a stainless steel tank. The juice was chilled and left to settle for 24 hours before racking off the gross lees to either tank or barrel. Fermented 80% in barrel, 20% in stainless steel tank. Aged in barrel for 9 months. Partial ML, filtered prior to bottling.
TASTING NOTES
Aromas of brioche, honeysuckle, and crisp green apple skin make for an altogether pretty Chardonnay. On the palate, flavors of raw manuka honey, pineapple juice, and subtle vanilla lactones sing. A crisp, clean mouthfeel is accentuated by high acid, and enjoyed over the course of a long, lingering finish.
CELLARING
Enjoy now or over the next 5-10 years.