Winemaker's Notes
Yellow-gold color with an opalescence sheen; enticing aromas of orange peel and honeysuckle with delicate floral notes. Zesty apple, apricot, and orange flavors mingle with a creamy texture. An underlying minerality adds to the liveliness of the wine on the palate. This is a well balanced, seamless Chardonnay with a crisp, lingering finish. Alcohol 14.3%
Vineyard
Vineyards
Hanna Vineyard , Dutton-Hill Vineyard , O'Connor Vineyard
Appellation
Russian River Valley
Clones
Hanna Vineyard : Clone 4 and Clone 6 Dutton-Hill Vineyard : Clone 4 and Clone 6 O'Connor Vineyard : Clone 4 and Clone 6
Site
Goldridge yellow and brown sandy-loam soils
Yield
2.5 - 3.5 tons/acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
October 7 through October 27
Harvest Brix
23.2° to 24.2°
Growing Season
An early spring in the Russian River Valley set a large crop, requiring extensive work in the vineyard to manage the yield for optimum flavor intensity and richness in the grapes. Cool weather in late September and October extended the harvest providing for enhanced flavor development.
Winemaking
♦ Hand-harvested grapes
♦ Whole cluster, direct to press
♦ Barrel fermented with indigenous yeast, 8 months to completion
♦ Concurrent native malolactic fermentation in barrels
♦ Barrel aged 9 months, 52% new French oak, sur-lies and stirred
♦ Bottled unfined, unfiltered August 2001
