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Wine Details
Price:
$105.00 per bottle
Description:
The 2002 estate Chardonnay is the finest estate Chardonnay for us to date. We knew this the moment the grapes came off the vine in loose, child's fist size clusters. This wine is a blend of fruit from all four Chardonnay blocks on the Ranch. Coconut rind and candied pineapple recall the estate Chardonnays of 2000 and 2001, which were made from Clone 4 fruit. For the first time, however, it is balanced with the lychee nut, flinty edge of Dijon Clones 76, 95 and 96. The palate weight of the wine is the heaviest to date, spreading into crême brulée, vanilla cream and wildflower honey. It has a sappiness to it that none of the past wines have had. The finish is long and creamy, increased in length by the framing acidity and wet stone/slatey character of the Dijon clones.
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Varietal Definition
Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is by far the most widely planted grape crop in California and dominates California’s cooler, coastal, quality wine regions. The natural varietal ‘taste and smell’ of Chardonnay is surprisingly unfamiliar to many wine drinkers, as its true character is often guised with dominating winemaking signatures. Chardonnay’s rather subdued primary fruit characteristics lean toward the crisp fruitiness of apples, pears and lemon, but the variety’s full body is capable of supporting a host of complementary characteristics, such as oak, butter and vanilla. Regardless of what is the appropriate style for Chardonnay, the varietal continues to dominate vineyard plantings in every corner of the world. Close attention to clonal selection has made this broad geographic and climactic range of Chardonnay viable in thoughtful viticultural hands.
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