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We are proud to present our 2009 "Vieilles Vignes" Estate Chardonnay. The grapes sourced for this native yeast fermented Chardonnay were hand picked and carefully selected from our original vineyard planted in 1980. These old vines yielded an average of 1.8 tons per acre.

Tasting Notes

The nose opens with intense tropical fruit, creme brulee, honey suckle and melon aromas. The layered palate has flavors of green apple, butterscotch, meyer lemon and poached pear. French oak provides a touch of spice with hints of vanilla and cinnamon. This rich and medium bodied offering has great balance and a soft mouthfeel. Drinkability: 2010 to 2014.

Winemaking Notes

Careful pressing of whole clusters minimized skin contact. This gentle process helps the wine achieve balance as well as develop a silky mouth-feel and enhances the aging potential. Using native yeasts, the wine fermented at 50 degrees in French oak barrels with 30% of the wine undergoing a second, malolactic fermentation. Tonnelleries: François Frêres and Damy. Oak types: Allier, and Troncais. 30% new oak.

Vineyard Notes

This Chardonnay was grown exclusively on our estate vineyard located on the Silverado Trail. The shallow, rocky hillside vineyard planted in 1980 stressed the vines sufficiently during the growing season to ensure intense varietal character. We employed a variety of techniques in managing each vineyard's microclimate including vertical trellising, leaf removal and crop reduction.

Harvest Report

The 2009 vintage is producing outstanding fruit that looks and tastes to be a spectacular vintage. Though rainfall was little more than two-thirds of normal for the third year in a row, the timing of the precipitation was on the vine's side. Couple that with the lack of frost and a relatively cool growing season, Mother Nature managed to have it all work in unison to give vines and grapes the best possible scenario.