2007 Stu Miller Vineyard Chardonnay
Vineyards
The grapes for this wine were grown on a sunny knoll atop Rider Ridge in the historic Jarvis-district of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Overlooking the waters of Monterey Bay in the far off distance, this southwest-facing vineyard enjoys hours of warm sunshine each day and in the evening refreshes with the cooling that comes of its mountain elevation at 1050 ft ( 320 m). This cooling allows the grapes to retain natural acidity while developing rich, full varietal character owing to extended vine time. The vineyard soil is comprised of a rocky, clay loam flecked with chert in which the vines must struggle to access water and to spread their roots resulting in low yields packed with flavor.
This wine memorializes the very special man who planted these vines, tended them and each year brought his precious cargo to our winery.
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In the Winery
The grapes were handpicked during mid to late October 2007. Yields were below average, 2.0 tons per acre. Arriving at the winery, we whole-cluster pressed the grapes using a gentle bladder press, chilled the juice for several days to clarify and then racked to 60 gallon French oak barrels and inoculated with various yeast strains. At the end of the alcoholic fermentation, the barrels were topped and the barrels were sent through a malo-lactic fermentation. Aging continued sur lie (on the yeast) for eight months with minimal stirring and following several rigorous tasting sessions, the barrels were selected for this commemorative cuvée and blended. The wine was bottled in mid–June of 2008.
