2006 CHARDONNAY

SIERRA MADRE VINEYARD, SANTA MARIA VALLEY

The 2006 Sierra Madre Vineyard Chardonnay is our first vintage of this fine white varietal. In the glass, the wine bursts with aromas of fresh green apple, vanilla bean, toasty oak, and wet stones. The long hang-time the vintage was afforded is evident – the fully ripened fruit offers up lush, unctuous flavors of pineapple, mango, banana and white peach, and a touch of minerality… the perfect combination of fruit-forward delivery, balanced weight on the palate, and a long, elegant finish. Our stylish Chardonnay will provide excellent drinkability in the short-term, but will continue to develop wonderfully in bottle with additional cellaring at cool temperatures.

Following a later-than-usual bud-break, the 2006 growing season was characterized by relatively cool conditions during the spring and early summer months. As the season progressed, sunny conditions prevailed, and our fruit achieved optimal maturity during the fall, with cool nights protecting our grapes in their slow march to ripeness. The pick eventually took place on September 27, with lusciously ripe Chardonnay grapes reaching ideal flavor and acid balance.

Following an early-morning hand harvesting at cool temperatures, the whole-cluster fruit was brought to the winery in small lots. There, it was gently pressed from the skins, with the resulting fresh juice settled overnight to reduce solids. The next day, the juice was racked to 100% new French oak barrels for fermentation and subsequent aging sur lie. In keeping with the Burgundian tradition of lees stirring, or battonage, the winery’s innovative OXO stacking system, advocated by winemaker Ken Volk, allowed for rolling the barrels in place to regularly distribute the lees into suspension without having to remove the bungs. This technique minimizes damaging oxygen pick-up and preserves delicate aromatics while moderating the extraction of oak. The resultant wine has considerable richness, and a lovely texture, while it retains fresh, tropical Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay fruit flavors.