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The Experience
Aroma - Pear, peach and assorted stone fruits with hints of musk melon and honeysuckle. Complex nutty oak with vanilla.
Palate - Tangy peach and lychee nut fruit which builds into a rich, full bodied mid palate. Complex with layers of spicy clove, vanilla woven together with a creamy texture and a long finish.
The Winemaking
Our chardonnay grapes were hand picked first thing in the morning then hand sorted before being whole cluster pressed at the Winery. After 3 days cold settling the juice was gravity racked into a selection of three-year air dried French oak barrels for fermentation and ageing. After the initial fermentation the individual barrels were hand stirred, batonage, once a week until the completion of malolactic fermentation to add depth and complexity. A "Bulldog Pup" was used to gently rack the blend out of barrel before being bottled unfiltered.
Wine Facts
Harvest Dates: September 24-October 9, 2002
Growing Region: Carneros, Napa Valley
Vineyards: Vine Cliff & Cuvasion Carneros Estate Vineyards 100% Whole
Crushing Regime: Cluster
Pre-fermentation Treatment: 72-hour cold settling
Fermentation: 100% Montrachet Yeast
Malolactic Fermentation: 100 Malolactic
Barrel Composition: 70% New French Oak
Time in Barrels: 10 months
Filtration/Fining: Bentonite, Isinglass, Unfiltered
Blend Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Cases Produced: 383 Cases
Bottling Date: August 20, 2003