The 2008 Chardonnay has a lovely straw color and presents a bouquet of crisp apples, pear, and apricot. The palate resonates with granny smith apples, crisp pear, and apricot notes that mix with star fruit and citrus undertones. A hint of creaminess lingers into the soft notes of the finish. Vineyard: Originally planted in 1979 and 1980 on approximately 80% AXR/20% St. George's rootstock, this 5-acre vineyard on the eastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains has gradually been replanted to 110R rootstock. The unirrigated vineyard is on an east-west ridge and the soils change from gravel to shallow clay as the vineyard descends from 1,000 to 900 feet.
Harvest & Cellar: : We picked in four lots in August and September for ideal ripeness, working our way down the ridge line, whole cluster pressed a few hours after harvest. The juice settled overnight, and then was transferred to French oak for fermentation and 10 months of sur lees aging. In July 2009, 450 cases were bottled.
The 2007/2008 rainy season started early, with over an inch before all the fruit was in, but no damage done. Subsequent rains were light through January: one-third of normal. February dumped 15 inches, almost half our annual average. Add 5 more in March, and we finished the season with 25 inches, 4 less than average. Temperature-wise, spring was a few degrees warmer than normal, giving the grapes a nice start. In a pleasant reversal, July and August were noticeably cooler than normal, which set the stage for a wonderfully long growing season.