Nose
Appealing aromas of lavender and lilac which mix with the subtle citrusy notes.
Palate
Light on the palate but still mouth filling, the wine has hidden power. Each sip is a never-ending parade of flavors, with a captivating mineral note in the finish.
Growing Conditions
The soil is well drained and nutrient poor. The nutrient weak soil controls vine vigor. Vigorous vines set more fruit which could lead to a dilute wine with low intensity. Le Bon Climat Vineyard is some of the earliest work done in Santa Barbara County with Dijon Clones of Chardonnay planted on devigorating rootstock; this scion-rootstock combination limits yields naturally. Low vigor vines grow slowly and set few grapes. The small number of clusters ripen with richness, power and intensity.
Harvest
After the funny fruit set in 2011; the large and consistent set in 2012 was a welcome relief. We harvested the first Chardonnay in early September. Both August and September were mainly in the 70s and 80s with no real heat. October was hit with three heat spikes with the warmest weather in the first week. The Le Bon Climat Chardonnay for this wine was harvested on October 1st prior to the heat wave so the sugar level was in balance with the acid.
Winemaking
All of the grapes are handpicked and sorted in the vineyard. Fermentation and aging was done in 100% new François Frères barrel. After the first year in barrel the wine is racked and processed before going back to barrel to age for another 8 months.
Food Pairing
Try it with some fresh caught Alaskan Salmon for a real treat.
