Nose
Generously scented with orange zest, white flowers and ginger.
Palate
this wine opens to a firmly structured, silky palate of Anjou pear, zesty apple, yeasty brioche with hints of fresh almond. Echoes of ripe fruit linger over a finish enlivened by hints of vanillin and citrus oil.
Growing Conditions
The 2007 growing season was preceded by a mild, dry winter. Bud break came early and set a crop of tight clusters of small berries. Summer brought warm, even temperatures through veraison. Several heat spikes in August suggested that crush might begin early but temperatures cooled in early September, allowing ample time for phenolics as well as sugars to reach optimum levels. The result was a slow, steady harvest of exceptional quality, with wines showing great intensity and structure.
Harvest
Hand‐harvested grapes.
Bottling
Unblended, unfined and unfiltered; bottled January 2009.
Winemaking
Whole cluster, direct to press, cold Barrel‐fermented with indigenous yeasts; 4 months to completion Concurrent, spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels
Aging
Aged 16 months in French oak barrels; 71% new. Aged sur lies; biweekly bâtonnage.
Appearance
Lustrous pale straw in color