2006 Chardonnay

($19.99)

Tasting Notes

This is a structured wine showing the consummate Chardonnay characters; citrus fruit and rind, flint, and most importantly, mineral. Despite the new barrels used and the full barrel ferment, the taste of oak wood is noticeably absent from this wine and this is a continuing example of how good chardonnay fruit character can carry and be complimented by new oak barrels without being overwhelmed by them. This is why Chardonnay, despite its detractors, will always be amongst the world's best wine.

Notes on Fermentation

Despite a hot growing season, this fruit was harvested relatively late for the variety, the first and second weeks of October. All of the fruit was pressed whole cluster, cold settled for a couple of days and racked. Each of the juice lots were inoculated with one or the other of Mike's two favourite Chardonnay yeasts and 90% of the volume was sent immediately to barrels for fermentation. The mix of barrels was 67% French (new and 1 year old, Allier, Troncais, Nevers, and Centre), and the balance was new and 1 year old American oak. 25% of the barrel ferments were allowed to continue into malolactic fermentation. All barrels were aged sur-lie and periodic lees stirring occurred. Each lot was racked from its barrels when that particular lot tasted right, but the weighted average of barrel ageing time is just short of 7 months. Bottling was done in late June, 2007.