Nose
The 2014 vintage has yielded a lush and silky wine, with
beautiful floral aromatics, pure vivid fruit and lovely minerality. The nose offers
layers of apricot, golden apples, clover and a hint of beeswax.
Palate
On the palate,
excellent natural acidity and a note of lemon pie tartness add poise and length,
underscoring flavors of creamy citrus, toasty spice and honeysuckle.
Growing Conditions
2014 delivered abundant spring heat, leading to early
budbreak and flowering. To address the heat, which continued through summer,
we tailored our irrigation, crop size and shading to the needs of each vineyard. In
the run up to harvest, Mother Nature delivered ideal temperate weather, which
allowed us to pick exactly when we wished.
Harvest
One of our earliest harvests ever, we
picked our 1989 block chardonnay starting on September 4th at 22.5 Brix and 3.3
pH, with our clone #95 grapes arriving on September 19th at 22.2 and 3.7 pH.
Winemaking
This wine was 100% whole-cluster pressed. 85% was fermented
in predominantly mature Burgundy barrels, with a total of 13% new French oak.
To enhance texture and richness, we fermented 15% in concrete. To maintain
Conner Lee’s bright, fresh character, only 40% of the wine went through
malolactic fermentation. In keeping with our gentle winemaking approach, and a
belief in preserving nuance and complexity, this wine was not cold stabilized.
