2004 Muscat Canelli, Bartolucci Vineyard, Lake County
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Vintage
2004
Price
$22
Release Date
June 2005
Appellation
Lake County
Availability
Only at the Winery
Vineyard
Bartolucci
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Vinification
In the winery we use whole cluster pressing and an aggressive press cut to insure beautiful floral fruit without astringency. Tank fermentation at low temperatures allows us to slow the fermentation process to preserve fruit flavors and aromas. We stop the fermentations with just enough residual sugar to emphasize and balance the crisp acidity. The wine was bottled in February 2005. Alcohol 11.4%, pH 3.5, Total acidity .57, Residual sugar 6.1%. 763 cases produced.
Vintage
The amount of rainfall, though early, was normal. Dry weather reigned from March, the warmest March on record, to October. The warm weather jump-started the growing season, making farmers nervous (more much time for things to go badly). Things did cool down for spring extending bloom. Periods of long bloom affect uniformity in reds causing a potential of uneven ripening within an individual grape cluster. In our vineyards, we 'green drop' to balance the crop and eliminate late ripening fruit at the end of verasion. Summer was moderate without any heat waves; but it was humid raising concerns of mildew. By the end of July it was evident that an early harvest was upon us. We began picking our Sauvignon Blanc on August 13th, the earliest ever, and had brought in about 15% of the total crop by the end of August when it got hot and dry. High temperatures are not unusual in late summer and early fall but humidity under 20% is very unusual. In fact the average low humidity over the previous five years didn't go below 30%. Extended periods of hot, dry weather are difficult for a grapevine to endure. With almost two weeks of 10 - 20% humidity in late August and September, mildew was now the least of concerns! Grape sugar was soaring before flavors had matured; our growers did a great job sustaining vineyards until flavors developed. By the end of September we were evaluating an outstanding vintage. 2004 is a vintage of ripe and well-developed flavors with the best overall quality in years.
Tasting Notes
A wonderful Muscat, in a medium bodied, medium sweet style. It has excellent character (pear, apple, honeysuckle), good balance, and a very long aftertaste. Either serve this wine on its own, or with mildly sweet dishes, including Caesar salad, eggs Benedict, sweet and sour pork, and desserts, such as carrot cake, crème brulee, peach cobbler, almond fingers, and plain cheesecake.
Terry Nolan, Winemaker