2010 CHARDONNAY
Napa Valley
THE BLEND 100% Chardonnay
RELEASE DATE October 2011
RETAIL PRICE
$26.00
$22.10 Club Price
Quantity discount available
STATS
Harvested ~ September 15 – October 1. 23.2° brix at harvest. 13.4% alcohol. 7.9 gr/1 total acidity. 3.11 pH
WINEMAKING
100% whole cluster press. Natural malolactic completed in barrel and tank. 13% stainless steel fermented and aged. 67% barrel fermented and tank aged. 20% barrel fermented and barrel aged.
A BRIEF HISTORY
A favorite verse in the Tao offers: “We shape
clay into a pot but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever
we want. We hammer wood for a house but it is the inner space
that makes it livable. We work with being but non-being is what
we use.”
It is this essential “non-being” that defines our
approach to Chardonnay. As winemakers, we recognize our greatest
contribution is to impose less of ourselves upon the wine, allowing
the Chardonnay its own light, energy, freshness and honesty.
Instead of hammering more wood onto the house, we favor restraint
and modesty in our winemaking.
We are fond of saying that there is nothing more overrated in
Chardonnay than “fruit” and nothing more underrated
than “earth.” With this goal in mind we selected
the Carneros district of the Napa Valley as the primary home
for this wine back in 1982. Pure flavors and a clean mouth-feel
make this wine ultimately refined, elegant and the ideal complement
to a variety of cuisine.
ABOUT THE WINE
Vibrant acidity is the defining character of both the 2010 vintage and this beautiful wine. Bright flavors of citrus and stone fruit are layered over a taut and structured frame that is underscored by touches of mineral and flint. Like most wines of this type, the 2010 Chardonnay draws its complexity and mouthfeel from delicate contact with its primary fermentation lees rather than from extended time in oak barrels. These elements combine to create the perfect match to a dozen briny oysters or, just maybe, a second refreshing glass.
WINEMAKERS
John Williams and Paula Moschetti
VINEYARDIST
Frank Leeds |
