Nose

Lively aromas of yellow flowers, custard, mandarin oil, and stone fruit.  

Palate

The richly textured,
seamlessly structured palate is layered with stone fruits, lemon zest, Crenshaw melon and
Granny Smith apple.  Mineral notes linger over a pleasurable finish.

Growing Conditions

 2010 began with a wet winter and spring across Sonoma County.  Summer
was cool, though as harvest approached temperatures rose.   Our pinot noir and chardonnay
ripened fully and evenly, allowing sugars and acid to develop in balance.   The wines from
2010 are bright, expressive and elegant.

Edward James Estate, Ellen Lane Estate, O’Connor, Richard Dinner, Ross Station,
Ulises Valdez.

Clonal Selections: Wente, Bato, 15, 4, Robert Young.

Harvest

Hand‐harvested grapes.

Bottling

Unfined and unfiltered; bottled January 2012.

Winemaking

 Whole cluster, direct to press, cold
 Barrel‐fermented with indigenous yeasts; 4 months to completion
 Concurrent native malolactic fermentation in barrels

Aging

Aged 12 months in French oak barrels; 52% new; Aged sur lies; biweekly bâtonnage.

Appearance

The quintessential Russian River Valley Chardonnay, this wine has a lustrous golden hue.