VINEYARD | The best blocks were hand selected from Sangiacomo Vineyard to give this Chardonnay the aromas, flavors and structure we were after. At this Certified Sustainable site, the Sangiacomos use cover crops to replenish nutrients in the soil and practice integrated pest management techniques to reduce artificial inputs and increase biodiversity in and around the vineyard. Dense, loamy soil, a cool climate and small harvests ensure that the fruit from this site is always deliciously distinctive.
 
VINTAGE | A dry winter led to a fairly early bud break in 2007. Overall the growing season was evenly paced with a just a few heat spikes in the early summer. Warm August weather started harvest early, but then a cool September slowed things quite a bit and grapes hung on the vines another few weeks. This cool period helped to develop complexity in flavors while keeping sugars under control. 2007 was one of the longest harvests Sonoma County has seen in recent years, spanning almost three months from start to finish. This vintage was certainly smaller in quantity than 2006, but in many cases the lower yields meant more concentrated flavors.
 
WINEMAKING | We pick the grapes in the cool early morning hours to preserve the quality and character of the fruit. To promote clarity and refreshing crispness in the wine, we whole cluster press the grapes and allow the free run juice to settle and cold-ferment in Hungarian oak barrels (20% new). The wine was then barrel aged for eleven months. The traditional practice of batonnage (stirring of the lees) was used to integrate flavors as well as building body texture. The final wine was bottled in September of 2008.