1995
Paul Hobbs Chardonnay, Kunde Vineyard Sonoma Valley
Winemaker's Notes
Accents of tart green apple, ripe pear, mineral and citrus notes in an initially compact style. The vibrant fruit flavors fan broadly on the finish and continue to crescendo like an explosion in the mouth. Very long with lots of elegance and finesse. Worthy of several years of cellaring.
Vineyard
Owner/Manager
Kunde Estate Winery/Keith Kunde
Vineyard
Kunde Vineyard
Appellation
Sonoma Valley
Vineyard Age
15 years
Site
Hillside, terraced, western exposure, red hill (volcanic, shattered rock ) clay-loam
Yield
3.2 tons/acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
September 28, 1995
Harvest Brix
Range: 22.4 ? 23.1
Growing Season
Excellent climatic conditions throughout the summer growing season; moderate temperatures, no precipitation. Two late season blasts of hot, dry, Indian-summer winds struck the vineyards in the midst of fruit maturation. This provoked a dehydration response in most vineyards and some vineyards succumbed. The Kunde vineyard, however, is very deep rooted. The plants endured the assault allowing a pick under peak weather conditions, late in the season.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested grapes
Whole cluster, direct-to-press
Barrel fermented with indigenous yeast, 2 to 7 months to completion
Concurrent, spontaneous malolactic fermentation
Barrel aged 9 months, 38% new French oak, sur-lies and stirred
Unblended, unfined, unfiltered; bottled September 1996
