Nose
Inviting aromas of white flowers, Honeycrisp apples
and tropical lime blossom rise from the glass hinting at the wine’s layered complexity.
Palate
On the lush
palate, flavors of tangerine, apple and wet-stone minerality mingle with notes of brioche and
cinnamon, with cool-climate acidity keeping everything bright and energetic.
Growing Conditions
Following several early harvests, 2017 offered a return to a more classic
Columbia Valley growing season—and an ideal vintage for white wine grapes. After a nice wet
spring that made for healthy and happy vines, we enjoyed relatively temperate mid-season
weather (by Eastern Washington standards) that slowed down ripening. This allowed the grapes to
develop beautifully articulated flavors at lower sugars with high natural acidity—all of which we
love! This dazzling chardonnay offers lovely richness, intense aromatics and beautiful
fruit, all at a relatively modest 13.7% alcohol.
Harvest
Mild weather during harvest allowed us to pick at our leisure, resulting in pristine clusters. We
picked our clone #95 grapes on September 15th at 21.9 ̊ and 3.49 pH, and our 1989 block
chardonnay on September 22nd and Sept 26th at 22.8 ̊Brix/3.25 pH, and 23.5 ̊Brix/3.37 pH
respectively.
Winemaking
To preserve the Chardonnay’s more delicate fruit characteristics, this wine was
100% whole-cluster pressed. 68% was fermented in predominantly mature Marcel Cadet Burgundy
barrels, with a modest 11% new French oak. To enhance texture and richness, we fermented the
other 32% in a concrete tank. Adding to the wine’s bright, fresh character, only 40% went through
malolactic fermentation. In keeping with our gentle winemaking approach, and a belief in
preserving complexity, this wine was not cold stabilized.
