2004
Paul Hobbs Chardonnay, Richard Dinner Vineyard
Winemaker's Notes
We have been crafting chardonnay from this distinctive vineyard on Sonoma Mountain since 1991. This wine helped put us "on the map" and the 2004 vintage certainly lives up to the reputation it has garnered over the years.
Its yellow-gold color is accented by a pale straw rim. Scents of orange marmalade and gardenia are punctuated by a hint of caramel. A creamy texture and rich flavors of yellow apple, kumquat, harvest spices and toasted brioche meld to deliver a luxuriant mouth feel. A seemingly unstoppable finish is further enhanced by this wine’s hallmark mineral characteristics of volcanic tuft and crushed granite. Aged 11 months in French oak, 68% new.
Vineyard
Owner/Manager
Caroline and Patricia Dinner / Joe Votek
Vineyard
Richard Dinner Vineyard
Clones
Old wente, Robert young selection
Vineyard Age
22 years
Site
Hillside, northern exposure, clay-loam and
gravel with strata of volcanic tuft
Yield
1.7 tons/acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
September 27
Harvest Brix
24.9° - 25.2°
Growing Season
The growing season began with warm, dry weather in March, resulting in early bud break. A long summer of even temperatures had a moderating effect, lowering yields and maximizing complexity in the fruit. Six days of heat in the first week of September increased flavor intensity and led to an early harvest.
Winemaking
• Hand-harvested grapes • Whole cluster, direct to press • Barrel fermented with indigenous yeasts; 1 month to completion • Concurrent spontaneous malolactic fermentation, 5 to 8 months to completion • Aged 11 months in French oak barrels; 68% new, sur lies and stirred biweekly • Unblended, unfined and unfiltered; bottled September 2005
