Winemaker's Notes
Yellow-gold in color, this wine offers aromas of sweet pear and lemon custard, with notes of honeysuckle and grass. The palate reveals full-bodied, elegant layers of golden apple, pear and honeydew melon, a gentle accent of lemongrass and crisp acidity on the finish. Alcohol 14.8%
Vineyard
Vineyards
O'Connor Vineyard , Lynmar Vineyard , Mill Station Vineyard
Appellation
Russian River Valley
Clones
O'Connor Vineyard : Clone 4 and Clone 6 Lynmar Vineyard : 4, 15, Rued, Robert Young Mill Station Vineyard : 4, 15, Rued, Robert Young
Site
Goldridge yellow and brown sandy-loam soils
Yield
2.5 - 3.0 tons/acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
October 10 - 24
Harvest Brix
24.4° - 25.0°
Growing Season
The Russian River Valley experienced unusual cooling and warming trends throughout the growing season of 2003, calling for meticulous work in the vineyard from spring to fall. Careful attention to the vines, combined with generous amounts of sunlight over the long days of summer, reaped fruit of complexity and intensity.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested grapes
Whole cluster, direct to press
Barrel fermented with indigenous yeasts; 6 months to completion
Concurrent native malolactic fermentation in barrels; 3 months to completion
Aged 10 months in French oak barrels; 61% new; sur-lies and stirred
