History
In 2008, I planted less than one acre of the rare Mt. Eden clone of Chardonnay at our estate vineyard, Fe Ciega. This release marks the third vintage of this extremely limited production wine.
The Harvest
The growing season and harvest was very similar to that of 2014, with start dates so early that they set records. We harvested the grapes on August 29th, with an average sugar content of 22.4 Brix.
Winemaking
The grapes were whole-cluster pressed and the juice settled for 24 hours before being racked to French oak barrels for fermentation. The wine then began its barrel aging “sur lies.” This is a technique that involves stirring the yeast sediment twice a month to extract a richer texture. The malo-lactic fermentation was inhibited in order to retain all of the natural acidity. Just 9% of the wine was aged in new French oak barrels, with the balance in older neutral barrels. After 11 months of aging the wine was fined, filtered and bottled in August 2016.
The Wine
The wine has a pale straw gold color. The nose is classically Burgundian, with a mixture of floral and smoky aromas. On the palate the wine is medium bodied, with subtle flavor of pears, nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon. The high acidity gives the wine a long, crisp finish that ends with a hint of toasted oak.
Food Pairings
This wine’s classic elegance partners well with foods that are traditionally served with Champagne, such as smoked salmon with crème fraiche and caviar on fresh blini.
Rick Longoria, Winemaker
November 1, 2017
