Inspiration
This Chardonnay is named after my wife and winery partner, Diana. I sourced the grapes from the finest vineyard sites to make this cuvée in her honor, and to also epitomize this region’s ability to create world-class wines.
Harvest
The weather during the 2016 growing season and harvest reverted back to
normal temperatures. This allowed the grapes to ripen slowly, giving me the luxury to pinpoint the ideal time to harvest each site. The fruit from Fe Ciega Vineyard was harvested on September 4th and the fruit from Kessler-Haak Vineyard was harvested on September 28th. The average sugar content between the two lots was 23.4 Brix.
Winemaking
The grapes were whole-cluster pressed and the juice settled for 24 hours before being racked to barrels for fermentation. Each of the lots aged in French oak barrels for 14 months before being blended and prepared for bottling in January 2018. Only 23% of the wine was aged in new barrels to preserve the aromatics and flavors of the Chardonnay grapes.
The Wine
The wine has a medium gold color and rich aromas of baked apples with hints of vanilla crème brûlée. On the palate the wine is medium bodied with flavors of zesty lemon custard and crisp apples. The oak flavors are well-integrated and the bright acidity provides a satisfying and lingering finish.
Food Pairings
Suggested pairings with this elegant and well-balanced Chardonnay are a simple fettuccine alfredo with grilled prawns, lobster risotto and roasted chicken with herbed potatoes.
Rick Longoria, Winemaker
February 1, 2018
