2007 Chardonnay Reserve
Carneros, Napa Valley

Vineyards
Our 2007 Reserve Chardonnay is a blend of grapes from several outstanding vineyards in the cool-climate Carneros district of Napa Valley, with 67% of the fruit coming from our Foster Road, Milton Road and Tinsley Ranch estate vineyards.  The wine also blends six different French Dijon clones of Chardonnay, which contribute to its distinctive, complex aromas and intense, vibrant flavors.   

Vintage 2007
2007 was a vintage of exceptional quality.  Winter and spring were warmer and drier than usual, which accelerated budbreak, bloom and set and also resulted in small Chardonnay cluster and berry sizes, which concentrated and intensified flavors.  Due to the early-starting season and consistently temperate summer weather, harvest began early and progressed at a fast clip, allowing us to harvest our Carneros District Chardonnay grapes between September 3rd and 21st with an ideal balance of ripe fruit and crisp acidity.

Winemaking
We night-harvest 100% of our Carneros Chardonnay grapes and whole-cluster-press the fruit to obtain the freshest, purest juice possible.   In 2007, we inoculated 90% of the juice with cultured yeast strains to enhance the rich fruit character of the Chardonnay variety.  Ten percent was fermented with native yeast strains to promote even greater complexity and a refreshing minerality.  All of the juice fermented in French oak barrels, 32% new, with 16% of the new wine undergoing a secondary, malolactic fermentation to soften acidity and foster a round, creamy texture.  Aging the wine in barrel on its primary yeast lees for 15 months, with plentiful stirring and no racking, further refined our Reserve Chardonnay’s silky texture, complex aromas and intense flavors, creating a perfect balance of fruit, yeast and oak tones.

Tasting Notes
Our 2007 Napa Valley Reserve Chardonnay boasts fragrant sweet apple, ginger and melon aromas with complex, accompanying scents of citrus zest, mineral, vanilla cream, yeast and toasty oak.  On the full-bodied, beautifully structured palate, the wine delivers succulent, deeply concentrated, creamy apple, melon, lemon-lime and peach flavors that persist throughout a long, bright, mineral- and ginger-laced finish.  With great reserves of fruit, vibrant acidity and perfectly balanced oak tones, this luxurious, cool-climate Napa Valley Chardonnay makes delicious drinking now, but will handsomely reward five to seven years of cellaring.