Reserve Chardonnay

For a very long time, this barrel fermented Chardonnay was called our ‘Harlequin Chardonnay’. We used the word Harlequin because of the richness and complexity of the wine. Typically our barrel fermented Chardonnay is sourced primarily from our best site on the Top Meadow. But 2022 was such a fantastic vintage that I wanted to include all of the estate vineyards in the blend. The barrel profile was more robust than the previous 2021 vintage because the fruit was so rich and ripe and complex. 40% New Oak, 20% One Year Oak, and 40% Neutral Barrels.

After fermentation the wines were racked off of heavy fermentation lees for stirring. The barrels were stirred post fermentation for a month with a total barrel ageing time of 9 months. Attention to detail with acid balance, and a very cool cellar resulted in a very slow ML completion, which I really liked. The 2021 vintage has more of a rich ripe profile than 2020. It shows beautiful spice and body. Slight nuances in oak selection, for example increasing the new oak profile was key in order to lift the ripeness of the fruit and show off its richness.