There are some areas of the vineyard where the soils were better suited to Chardonnay than Pinot Noir. We were lucky to be given two special field selections of Old Wente and Hyde chosen for their small berries and loose clusters. The first selection is graceful and fruity while the second is more structured and sleek. The overall crop in our Chardonnay blocks is small and the flavors intense. Picked in the cool morning hours, the grapes are hand sorted and then whole cluster pressed. Pressing is carefully monitored to limit pressed juice to only the first and finest juice and to avoid at all costs any of the undesirable flavors that often accompany harder pressed wine. After pressing, the wine from each field selection is separately barreled in selected combinations of new and used 100% French oak barrels to undergo barrel fermentation, including malolactic fermentation. Typically our Chardonnays are barreled for at least a year and often as long as sixteen months. Blending trials are done as the wines evolve. When the final blending relationships are decided, the wine is racked and bottled, without fining or filtration so that the wine maintains flavor and youthfulness over time. Click for LIBRARY WINES & TASTING NOTES for PAST VINTAGES
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2008 CHARDONNAY. Fort Ross Vineyard. Sonoma Coast -PRE-RELEASE
Celebrate our 2008 Chardonnay's 93 points from Wine Enthusiast (August 2010) with a 6 pack specially priced at $150. No other discounts apply.
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2007 CHARDONNAY. Fort Ross Vineyard. Sonoma Coast - NEW RELEASE
This golden hued Chardonnay perfectly balances lush complexity with the natural acidity characteristic of the Fort Ross coastal climate. More Details
2005 CHARDONNAY RESERVE, Fort Ross Vineyard, Sonoma Coast - LIMITED
Celebrate our 2005 Chardonnay Reserve's 91pts from Wine Enthusiast (August 2010 Issue) with a 6 pack specially priced at $192. No other discounts apply. More Details