2009 Chardonnay
Tinsley Ranch, Carneros, Napa Valley

Vineyards
Our Tinsley Ranch, in southern Napa Valley’s cool Carneros region, was planted exclusively to Chardonnay vines in 1986.  Because the rootstock used proved immune to phylloxera – the root louse that during the 1990s necessitated the replanting of much of Napa’s vineyard acreage – Tinsley boasts the oldest Chardonnay vines in the region.  Devoted entirely to the Clone 4 selection of Chardonnay, which over the years has produced many of California’s finest renditions of the variety, Tinsley yields fruit boasting intense varietal flavors balanced by bright acidity and a refreshing minerality.      

Vintage 2009
The 2009 growing season in Napa Valley was “cool” in all respects.  Spring rains replenished the water table, deferring the need for irrigation, which kept berry sizes small.  Summer brought consistently below-average temperatures, resulting in the slow, parallel development of grape sugars and flavors.  This allowed the fruit to reach peak maturity at lower sugar levels, a desirable outcome.  We harvested our Tinsley Ranch Chardonnay grapes between September 16th and 19th with an ideal balance of ripe fruit flavors and crisp balancing acidity.

Winemaking
Night-harvesting our Tinsley Ranch grapes protected our vineyard workers from summer’s heat and ensured that the fruit was picked cold to preserve its pure flavors and bright natural acidity.  We subsequently whole-cluster-pressed the fruit – which similarly preserves freshness and purity – and transferred the juice to French oak barrels, 37% new, for fermentation.  Thirty-eight percent of the wine underwent a secondary, malolactic fermentation to enhance mouthfeel and promote a lush, creamy tone.  The wine aged eight months in barrel on its yeast lees, with periodic stirring, to foster additional richness and complexity.  It was bottled in July, 2010.