Nose
With aromas of ripe apples, citrus, Asian pear, butterscotch and vanilla bean with fresh mineral notes.
Palate
The wine’s soft entry leads to a mid-palate with medium body and acidity and plenty of volume. Flavors of apple and pear, along with citrus notes and subtle oak lead to a refreshing, medium length finish.
Winemaking
The fruit was handpicked, as well as state-of-the-art machine harvested, then carefully sorted and whole-cluster pressed to preserve freshness. Traditional methods are used to add richness and complexity—aging sur lies for 18 months in 25% new oak to add richness; partial malolactic to balance the wine’s acidity—while aiming to retain the focus on the unique Chardonnay fruit expression of Carneros—bright citrus and apple, along with subtle tropical fruit notes. Modest use of predominantly French oak helps to enhance the wine’s expression of region, while not playing too dominant a role in the overall wine. Combination of traditional barrel fermentation (52% of the blend) and stainless steel tank fermentation (48% of the blend). This wine will gain complexity for three years from vintage.
Aging
18 Months, 25% New French oak
Appearance
The 2014 is pale gold in color
