2008 Monterey Chardonnay
Vineyards
The grapes for this wine were grown in two vineyards overlooking the prolific Salinas Valley made famous in the novels of John Steinbeck. Baja Viento is planted into a gravelly-loam resting upon a hillside supported by a shale formation. There, cooling winds blow down from the inlet at Elkhorn Slough to provide for slow, even ripening of the resulting grapes. This planting is comprised of the Spring Mountain-clone of Chardonnay prized for the cornucopia of bright fruit esters that these grapes bring to any cuvée.
Located on a wind-swept terrace just south of Arroyo Seco, the Mesa del Rio vineyard enjoys the benefit of eastern, morning sun shine. Viticulturists theorize that morning sun provides a more gentle warmth which allows the grapes to ripen more evenly and completely. The result – a wine filled with lush notes of pineapple and pear.
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In the Winery
The grapes were harvested by hand in early-to-mid October of 2008. Yields were low, 3.0-3.5 tons per acre. Arriving at the winery, we whole-cluster pressed the grapes using a gentle bladder press and cold-settled for over 30 hours. The juice was barreled down into French oak – 75% into a combination of new and two-year-old wood – with the remaining 25% into stainless, and then inoculated with a selection of yeasts. At the end of the alcoholic fermentation, the barrels were topped and sent through a malo-lactic fermentation, the tank was not. Aging continued sur lie (on the yeast) for eight months with minimal stirring. The wine was blended and bottled in late May 2009.
