2006 Muscat Canelli
Bartolucci Vineyards,
Lake County
Alcohol 11.5%  |  pH 3.24  | Total Acidity .59
Residual Sugar 5.84%  |  824 Cases Produced

Wine Notes [PDF]

Tasting Notes | A wonderful Muscat in a medium sweet style, this wine offers flavors and aromas of pear, apple and honeysuckle. Well-balanced, with a long finish, our Muscat can be enjoyed on its own or with mildly sweet dishes, Caesar salad, eggs Benedict, sweet and sour pork and desserts, such as carrot cake, crème brûleé or peach cobbler.

Vineyard | High above the coastal fog, this vineyard sits on a benchland island near the Russian River, where growing conditions allow the fruit to mature late into the season, producing an acid backbone that frames the ripe, deep citrus and sweet grapefruit flavors. We’ve cultivated grapes on Shone Farm for more than a decade, and each year the quality of fruit exceeds our expectations.

Vintage | The 2006 vintage was truly a year won in the vineyard. A heat spike that lasted a record 10 days in July had growers nervous about sunburn on the ripening grapes. Then came the rains, which sent us rushing to leaf the vines, allowing sunshine and air to reach the clusters. Botrytis was a threat for a time, especially to Chardonnay. But late October saw a change in the weather and a change in our expectations for the vintage. The rains stopped and the climate warmed, giving grapes the time on the vines needed to reach full maturation. Overall, it was a late harvest of excellent quality fruit.

Winemaking | To accentuate the floral and fruit notes in this Muscat, we whole cluster press the grapes and cold-ferment in stainless steel. Keeping temperatures low during fermentation slows the process and preserves the fruit flavors and aromas in the wine. We look to have just enough residual sugar to emphasize and balance the crisp acidity. This Muscat was bottled in January 2007.

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 certified organically grown grapes. Our organically grown wines are audited annually and certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). We believe organic grape growing promotes wines that reflect the authentic flavors, aromas and character of the vineyard.