Vine Cliff Chardonnay 2003 Bien Nacido Vineyard

The Vineyard
The Bien Nacido Vineyard is located in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley, famous for producing aromatic, richly flavored cool climate chardonnays. The fruit for our 2003 Bien Nacido Chardonnay came mainly from the highly sought after J-block. The 2003 growing season in the Santa Maria Valley was especially long and cool. This allowed us to give the grapes extra hang time to get ripe fruit flavors without having extremely high sugars. The resulting wine has good natural acidity and spicy stone fruit flavors

The Winemaking
Individual vineyard blocks were hand picked separately then carefully hand sorted at the winery before whole cluster pressing. After 72 hours cold settling at 45 degrees, the juice was gravity racked into French oak barrels for fermentation and aging. The wine was aged on its lees and stirred weekly until malolactic fermentation was finished then left to naturally clarify in barrel. It was gently racked using a “Bulldog Pup” with nitrogen before being bottled unfiltered.

Tasting Notes
Aroma: Stone fruits with nectarine, peach and a hint of pineapple and tropical fruit. Spicy with vanilla, toast complexed with mineral and biscuit. Palate; Complex peach, nectarine and pear flavors with silky texture. Toasty oak with hints of nutmeg and vanilla with a rich, long and creamy finish.

Growing Region: Santa Maria Valley
Vineyard: Bien Nacido Vineyard
Crush Regime: 100% Whole Cluster
Malolactic Fermentation: 100%
New French Oak: 50%
Time in Barrel: 9 months
Blend Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Cases Produced: 400
Release Date: 7/1/05

Purchase Vine Cliff Chardonnay 2003 Bien Nacido Vineyard

Other products in the category Vine Cliff wines by varietal / Chardonnay: