The Experience
Aroma - Fragrant honeysuckle, sweet lemon and peach fruits with hints of brown sugar, vanilla bean and toasty oak.
Palate - Fresh spicy nectarine and mango fruit flavors with nuances of honey and cookie dough. Full bodied palate with juicy, lemon freshness, a rich creamy texture and long lingering finish.
The Vineyards
Clos Pegase, Truchard and Beckstoffer Vineyards are located in Carneros, just north of San Francisco's San Pablo Bay. Fog and cool sea breezes make this a superb growing region for growing Chardonnay. The 2000 growing season was normal by all accounts except for a short heat wave in June. A cool, even growing season ensued which resulted in even maturity, good acids, and excellent flavors.
The Winemaking
Our 2000 Chardonnay grapes were hand harvested two weeks earlier than in 1999.The grapes were hand sorted and whole cluster pressed, and the juice was cold settled before being gravity racked into French oak barrels for fermentation and sur lie ageing. Eleven individual vineyard lots were used to assemble the master blend which was left unfined in order to preserve fruit aroma and flavor.
Wine Facts
Harvest Dates: September 15-October 5, 2000
Growing Region: Carneros, Napa Valley
Vineyard: Vine Cliff Estate Vineyard
Crushing Regime: 100% Whole Cluster
Pre-fermentation Treatment: 72-hour cold settling
Fermentation: 45% Indigenous Yeast
Malolactic Fermentation: 67% ML
Barrel Composition: 50% New French Oak
Time in Barrels: 10 months
Filtration/Fining: Unfined/Sterile Filtered
Blend Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Cases Produced: 5,139 Twelve-Packs
Bottling Date: August 20-22, 2002