Tech Notes
Yield: 1.5 tons per acre
Harvest: August 19th-30th
Numbers @ Harvest: 23.5° Brix, 3.30 pH, 8.5 grams acidity
Barrel Regimen: French Oak 50% new, 50% 1-year; 100% Barrel Fermented; 100% Malolactic; 10 months on the sur-lie (in barrel)
15 barrels selected for Reserve program in July 2018; wine and lees stirred then aged an additional 12 months in stainless steel tank
Bottling: July 2018
Alcohol: 14%
Tasting Notes
Release Date: Fall 2021
2017 was an excellent growing season, long, moderate, and measured.
For our Reserve, we selected fifteen exceptional barrels of our 2017 estate wine. This process is done just before our Estate Chardonnay is bottled. So, like the Estate Chardonnay, the Reserve sees 10-months of barrel age. These barrels are then stirred to release the fermentation sediments, and the wine (sediment and all) is transferred to a stainless steel tank. The wine rests in the tank for another 12-months. During this time, the sediments disappear into the wine.
As one would expect, there is an added layer of complexity with this process. The aromas are similar to our 2017 Estate Chardonnay but with more minerality. The flavors remain fresh and engaging yet with more depth.
We have been making a Reserve Chardonnay since 2007 and have been delightfully surprised to find the Reserve has even more longevity than our sought-after Estate bottling.
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