Nose
This Chardonnay has intense aromas of crème brûlée,
toasted nuts, and baked apple.
Palate
Fruit flavors like apple,
pear, caramel and a hint of vanilla jump out on the palate.
The French oak gives the wine a great mouthfeel to go
along with the huge fruit flavors.
Growing Conditions
The 2016 vintage experienced the best of both worlds with
a hot spring and early summer. A cooler than normal end of
the ripening season allowed the wines to have ripeness, yet
maintain freshness and elegance. Overall, 2016 saw very favorable growing conditions,
producing wines with nicely resolved tannins and maturity.
The fruit for this wine is sourced from Block 95 of Columbia Crest’s
select estate vineyards located in the Horse Heaven Hills.The balance between warm daytime temperatures and
cooler evenings helps concentrate aromatics, retain acidity
and enhance complexity. The appellation’s low rainfall yields concentrated fruit with
depth and varietal expression.
Harvest
The early dry and warm spring, combined with cooler
temperatures in August and September, slowed down
ripening and resulted in the longest harvest on record in
Washington State (August 15-November 15).
Estate fruit was handpicked at the peak of ripeness, fed
directly to press, and the juice was cold-settled before
racking into new Burgundian-style barrels.
Winemaking
Barrel fermentation lasted approximately 7 weeks
Aging
The wine aged on lees for 17 months in 100% new French
oak barrels, which were hand-stirred weekly.
