Palate
An energetic Chardonnay, this single-vineyard wine presents floral aromas of acacia and apple blossoms, complemented by stone fruit notes, particularly apricot. In the mouth, it shows pronounced minerality, with interesting flavors of spice, Gala apple, and hazelnuts, concluding with a clean, intense finish.
Growing Conditions
An easy, mild growing season combined with low yields and a prolonged harvest resulted in wines with wonderful balance, color, and vibrant fruit. A normal but quick mid-April bud break was followed by warm spring weather. Freeze events in late 2019 lowered bud fertility, combined with rain and wind during June
bloom, which resulted in unusually low yields. Heat accumulation tracked the long-term average with veraison on-time in early August. Harvest had just started when smoke from CA/OR wildfires first blew west into the Pacific Ocean then swept eastward into the Columbia River basin and was present from the second week of September for eight days. The stage of fruit maturity, exposure timing, and the nature of this (older) smoke resulted in a minor, negligible impact. However, diffused sunlight and cooler temperatures stalled fruit maturation, extending harvest timing into October. The long growing season combined with low yields resulted in wonderful balance, length, and aromatics in the white wines.
Harvest
The Chardonnay was harvested in the cool early morning hours and delivered to the winery for immediate pressing, allowing the introduction of some oxygen for enhanced aromatics.
Winemaking
Over 30 years of meticulous vineyard management and winemaking experience are fundamental to the quality of our wines and reputation for excellence. Before bottling, the wine is lightly fined and gently filtered.
Aging
After settling, the juice is racked to 100% French oak barrels – mostly neutral, and 40% 1-2 years old – for primary fermentation.
The wine undergoes partial malolactic fermentation, with the aim of retaining its balanced natural acidity. During sur-lie ageing, the barrels are stirred bi-weekly to encourage full yeast contact, enhancing body and flavors.
