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Wine Details
Price:
$18.00 per bottle
Description:
Rafael Vineyard, Napa Valley • Winemaker: Phyllis Zouzounis
Even though we grow Chardonnay in Napa and the Anderson Valley, this first Elke Chardonnay wine is the result of a "joint venture" with long-time friend, Georg Rafael. We delivered Chardonnay grapes from Rafael's Napa vineyard into the hands of winemaker Phyllis Zouzounis at Mazzocco Winery. Our goal was to produce a crisp, clean, French-styled white Burgundy rather than the usual California Chardonnay. The wine was fermented in non-new (used) French oak barrels, was not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation, was filtered and bottled after 10 months. The results are a bright, fruit-forward Chardonnay, clean and crisp with a hint of oak.
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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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