Tasting Notes

Release Date: Fall 2004

Edna Valley is the last of the major Chardonnay regions to harvest in California. The fruit remains on the vine for weeks at the end of the season picking up added nuance and flavors. There is no other appellation more influenced by the ocean than the Edna Valley. This cool climate is what this noble variety seeks to give drama and tension in the glass.

The 2002 vintage, our eighteenth from this vineyard, is a classic with aromas of pineapple, honey, tangerine and toast: suave and vibrant in the mouth with flavors of quince, citrus and stones.

Production

5,488

Tech Notes

Yield: 3 tons per acre (140 tons total purchase)

Harvest: October 18th-30th

Numbers @ Harvest: 24.6° Brix, 3.5 pH, 7.5 grams acidity

Barrel Regimen: 50-50 French and American 1-4 years old; 100% barrel fermented with full malolactic

Bottling: September 2003

Reviews

Years Best Food & Wine Magazine - October 2005

American Wine Awards 2005: Best Wines $20 and Under

Jeffrey Patterson descended from his winery’s aerie 2,000 feet above Silicon Valley to source the grapes for this Edna Valley Chardonnay. His sure touch with the region’s ultra-ripe grapes (thanks to a long growing season) has yielded this wonderfully creamy, buttery wine with notes of toasted oak.