The Experience
Aroma - Bright, ripe mango fruit with peach and orange juice with a hint of toast and lavender.
The Vineyards
The grapes for our 2001 Napa Valley Chardonnay came from our Estate Vineyard and the Clos Pegase Estate in Carneros. The vineyard are located near the historic Winery Lake district where Chardonnay was first planted in Carneros about 25 years ago. We have seven different clone and root stock combinations planted which give us a variety of aromas and flavor profiles to chose from when making our Napa Valley Chardonnay blend. The 2001 vintage was cooler than normal which slowed down vine growth and resulting in an extended growing season leading up to harvest.
The Winemaking
Individual vineyard blocks were hand picked separately then carefully hand sorted at the winery before whole cluster pressing. After 72 hour cold settling at 45 degrees, the juice was gravity racked into French oak barrels for fermentation and aging. The wine was aged on its lees and stirred weekly until malolactic fermentation was finished then left to naturally clarify in the barrel. The wine was then gently racked using a “Bulldog Pup” with nitrogen before being bottled.
Wine Facts
Harvest Dates: August 28, 2001 - October 5, 2001
Growing Region: Carneros
Vineyard: Vine Cliff and Clos Pegase Estate Vineyard
Crushing Regime: 100% Whole Cluster
Pre-fermentation Treatment: 72-hour cold settling
Fermentation: 90% Indigenous Yeast
Malolactic Fermentation: 75% ML
Barrel Composition: 50% New French Oak
Time in Barrels: 10 months
Blend Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Cases Produced: 3,637 Twelve-Packs
Bottling Date: September 12, 2002 - September 14, 2002
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