VINEYARDS:
To make our 2014 Reserve Chardonnay, we turned to our own Goldfields Vineyard in the Russian River Valley where complexity in fruit structure, aromas, and flavors comes from planting a variety of field selections and clones originating from some of California’s oldest and best Chardonnay vineyards. Sixty-six percent of the fruit for this wine came from the Goldfields estate. We brought in the rest of the grapes from neighboring Dutton family vineyards, Stiling Vineyards, and Tilbury Vineyard, farmed by the Dutton family, one of the oldest grape-growing families in the Russian River Valley. Vines used to make this Chardonnay are, on average, 27 years old.
VINTAGE 2014:
2014 was a great growing season for white varietals. It began with a wet spring. The rains stopped just at flowering setting up an extended ripening season with moderate daytime temperatures of 88–90°F, giving full fruit expression. Cool nights and foggy mornings made for a slow, gentle ripening, and maintaining brilliant minerality. Hand-harvesting the fruit for this wine began on September 16 and finished on September 29. Brix at harvest ranged from a most desirable 23.3 to 25.6 degrees.
WINEMAKING:
All of the fruit for this wine went directly to the press in whole clusters to safeguard the pure fruit flavors of the field. We barrel-fermented 100% of this Chardonnay and followed that with secondary malolactic fermentation for 80% of the wine to add richness and creaminess. We then aged the wine for 11 months in 100% French oak barrels, 55% of which were new and 35% one year old.
WINEMAKER NOTES:
Our 2014 Russian River Valley Reserve Chardonnay has a beautiful light straw color with a golden edge. The wine opens with expressive nutmeg, toasted brioche, lemon zest, and stone fruit, with savory notes of smoke and lush cream. The palate is bright and pure, with minerality, light toast, pineapple, and green apple, along with hints of smoke. This Reserve is rich, flinty, and mouthwatering with good structure and a beautiful finish. It reflects the best of what Russian River Valley fruit can offer: rich, complex wines with depth and agility. Pair with seared scallops with green pea ravioli and lemon thyme butter sauce, seared halibut with warm herb vinaigrette, or lobster bisque.
Aging: 11 months in 100% French oak barrels: 55% new; 35% one year old
Total Acidity: 6.0 g/L
pH: 3.46
Residual Sugar: 0.9 g/L
Alcohol: 14.5%