Palate
This wine maintains a crisp acidity and a lively roundness on the palate while expressing heady aromas of lemon zest, starfruit, quince, Antibes melon and crème fraîche.
Growing Conditions
The grapes for this wine, the only wine we produce from grapes not grown on our estate, basked in near-perfect chardonnay ripening conditions during the temperate midsummer in Napa Valley's Carneros appellation. With a refreshing breeze from San Pablo Bay and thick overnight fog to keep them cool, hang-time extended into mid-October.
Harvest
Harvested on October 9th, 14th and 19th.
Bottling
Bottled: July 2011.
Winemaking
After a gentle pressing, the juice was cold-settled for 24 hours and then fermented in our caves in French oak, 25% of which were new barrels. The lees were stirred weekly for six months, and malolactic fermentation was initiated in all barrels and arrested at 30% completion.
Aging
25% New French Oak, 75% Neutral Oak
