Winemaker's Notes
Bright yellow-gold color; rich honeysuckle, peach and oatmeal aromas. Luxurious honey and vanilla nuances enhance the vibrant flavors of tropical fruits. An underlying minerality adds to the liveliness of the wine on the palate. This is a powerful, concentrated Chardonnay with a generous, lingering finish. Alcohol 14.5%
Vineyard
Owner/Manager
Occidental Road Vineyard : Hanna Family/Chris Hanna Slusser Road Vineyard : Hanna Family/Chris Hanna
Slusser - October 14, 1999, Occidental? October 29, 1999
Harvest Brix
Slusser - 24.8°, Occidental - 23.2°
Growing Season
The long, cool La Niña summer of 1999 promoted excellent flavor retention in the grapes, with high acidity and low pH. The warm Indian summer weather in October fully ripened the fruit to produce some of the best wines of the decade.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested grapes
Whole cluster, direct to press
Barrel fermented with indigenous yeast, 7 months to completion
Concurrent native malolactic fermentation in barrels
Barrel aged 10 months, 50% new French oak, sur-lies and stirred
