Palate
From its lovely stone fruit aromas of apricot and white peach to its tropical
notes and layers of wild chamomile, minerals, marzipan and spice, this is a pure and polished
expression of Conner Lee Vineyard Chardonnay. Though rich and silky on the palate,
balanced acids give the wine lovely poise and structure while accentuating the vibrant fruit.
Growing Conditions
2012 was an exceptional vintage, providing ideal weather at every stage
of development. Spring was cool to temperate with almost all of the rain falling in May and
June. July and August were dry, with beautiful weather and no extreme heat events. In the runup to harvest we had temperatures in the 65º to 70º range, allowing us to pick exactly when we
wanted with a perfect balance of sugars and acids.
Harvest
Our 1989 block came in at 21.9º Brix on
September 19th, with our clone #95 grapes arriving on October 8th at 21.2º
Winemaking
To preserve the bright, high-toned tropical character of the fruit, we whole
cluster pressed 65% of the grapes. For the other 35%, we allowed a short 48-hour skin contact
to build richness and body. In keeping with our belief in minimal new oak influence for this
wine, 60% was fermented in predominantly mature Burgundy barrels, with the remainder
fermented in concrete, with a total new French oak component of just 6% (one barrel). While
the majority of the wine went through malolactic fermentation, to maintain acidity and
freshness, 20% did not. In keeping with our gentle winemaking approach, and a belief in
preserving nuance and complexity, this wine was not cold stabilized.
