1999
Paul Hobbs Chardonnay, Kunde Vineyard Sonoma Valley
Winemaker's Notes
Explosive aromas of fresh cut fig, crème brulee, and toasty oatmeal. The palate is filled with rich, pure bosc pear, ripe yellow-delicious apple, mandarin orange, and toffee flavors. Distinct oak tones are well integrated and create a harmonious mouth-feel. This powerful, concentrated wine has a long, lingering finish. Alcohol 14.5%
Vineyard
Owner/Manager
Kunde Estate Winery/Keith Kunde
Vineyard
Kunde Vineyard
Appellation
Sonoma Valley
Vineyard Age
19 years
Site
Hillside, terraced, south southwestern exposure, red soil (volcanic, shattered rock); elevation, 450 feet.
Yield
2.8 tons/acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
October 8, 1999
Harvest Brix
26.2°
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, 9 months to completion
Concurrent, spontaneous malolactic fermentation
Barrel aged 14 months, 50% new French oak, sur-lies and stirred
