2002 Reserve Chardonnay, Carneros
Vintage
2002
Price
$29
Release Date
August 2004
Appellation
Carneros
Availability
Select Markets Nationally
Vineyard
Sangiacomo
Download
- Wine Notes [.pdf 91k]
Vintage
Each year, as part of our Reserve program, we select the best blocks from the best vineyards, which are then kept separate through the winemaking process until being selected, barrel-by-barrel, for the final blend. Vintage 2002 started wet, even before the calendar said it was 2002 - we almost had our seasonal average of rain before the New Year - with January and February being unusually dry and typically cold. 2002 was a vintage won in the vineyard, beginning shortly after budbreak with shoot thinning, and on through the season with crop thinning to balance the vines and eliminate any damaged or delayed fruit. This work by our growers allowed us to bring in ripe, uniform, high quality fruit with intense flavors and nice natural acid levels.
Vinification
Grapes from the Sangiacomo Vineyard were picked between September 26 and October 3, 2002. The lots with the finest track record were culled and re-selected again at the winery. These were 100% cold (53 degrees F) barrel-fermented for about five weeks, underwent partial malolactic fermentation and were aged for seven months in French oak barrels. The finest barrels were selected, blended and bottled in July of 2003. Alcohol 14%, Total Acidity .56, pH 3.62, Residual Sugar .08%. 1,541 cases produced.
Tasting Notes
This Reserve is rich and complex in style. It is fleshy and full bodied, with unctuous texture and a long finish. In flavor, it is both intense and subtle, tasting of new oak, apple, baked pear, butterscotch, and crème caramel. Serve with scallops with mushrooms in cream sauce, crab quiche, cheese soufflé, chicken crepe with mushroom sauce, pheasant breast in aspic, chicken enchilada, and saltimbocca (sautéed veal scallop with prosciutto, Parmesan cheese, and sage).
Terry Nolan, Winemaker