Nose
Cassic DILLON Chardonnay textural profile - full-bodied, with grip, tension, and salinity. This broad and concentrated barrel-aged Chardonnay opens with Crème brûlée and sandalwood with a nice layer of lemon curd followed by hints of crushed rocks and winter spice.
Palate
The textural and layered entry is complimented by balanced acidity and a clean and pleasantly endless finish. This wine will continue to evolve for years to come. Drink from now through 2025.
Growing Conditions
The 2017 vintage began cool and wet, and these cool temperatures lasted through mid-to-late spring. Many growers thought we may have another cooler vintage, similar to 2011. However, early summer finally rolled around and the temperatures were back near historical averages. By late summer, the above-average temperatures helped the vines catch up to previous warm vintages. This helped create the structure and a depth of concentration, while the milder autumn temperatures observed during harvest allowed for higher acidity than in previous warm vintages. The result is wines that have a great sense of balance; boldness and concentration, along with minerality and tension.
Winemaking
Hand-picked whole clusters were field-sorted, lightly foot crushed, and held overnight. The following morning we loaded the press cylinder and pressed long and slow. No SO2 was added. Juice from the press was pumped directly into 85% new French oak barrels and a neutral puncheon and carefully monitored. Native yeast fermented, the barrels were stirred only as needed to encourage the process. Primary fermentation lasted for 5 months. Native malolactic fermentation was completed in July 2018.
Aging
After an extended 22 months of total barrel age, the wine was racked and finished with a light polish filtration. Twenty-four months in bottle before release.
