2005 Reserve Chardonnay
Carneros
Alcohol 14.5% | Total Acidity .69 | pH: 3.5

  Wine Notes [PDF]

Tasting Notes | Our 2005 Chardonnay is full-bodied, crisp, and long on the palate. Round flavors of apple, honey and tropical fruits give way to a hint of vanilla on the finish. Extended oak aging gives the wine increased body and light toastiness in the back palate. It should be at its best over the next 2-3 years.  Enjoy with cracked crab, filet of sole with almonds, quiche Loraine, lemon chicken, or roast pork.
 
Vineyard | Crafted barrel by barrel from select vineyard blocks, only the finest lots receive the Reserve designation. The selection process for our Reserve Chardonnay begins in the vineyard, where we target hillside sites that consistently produce fruit with good acid structure, balance and delicate tropical flavors.

Vintage | Things could not have started off worse this vintage; with a cold, wet spring and periodic rains during the summer, all matter of fungus and mold were alive and well. The amount of extra time we spent adjusting and readjusting canopies and mowing and re-mowing vineyard rows, cost us about 20% more than normal.  Moving into harvest, just one rain could have knocked us out cold, but then a miracle!  30 plus days of perfect Indian summer. We ended up getting the grapes just the way we wanted them.  Unknown to us, the grapes continued to gain weight late in the year.  The extra weight slowed and lengthened the ripening process and this combined with great weather brought our grapes to perfect ripeness. The last grapes were picked on November 11, the latest ever for us in Sonoma.  The last press load was December 1st and by this time, we were sick of harvest. This was one of those very rare harvests where we got it both ways—exceptional quality and excellent yields. 

Winemaking | 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 9 months in French oak barrels.  The finest barrels were selected, blended and bottled in July 2006.

Benziger Farming Practices | At Benziger Family Winery, we are dedicated to winemaking that reveals the true character of the vineyard, the varietal and the vintage in certified-sustainable, -organically grown and  -Biodynamic® wines defined by individuality and the passion of the people who make them. Through our commitment to natural farming and environmentally and socially responsible business practices, we strive for sustainability and the preservation of our Sonoma Mountain family winery for generations to come.

This wine was made with grapes grown by sustainable farming methods. Our sustainable philosophy promotes natural vineyard management, restoration of the land and biodiversity on the estate. We believe these practices result in wines that reflect the authentic flavors, aromas and character of the vineyard.