GROWING CONDITIONS

Described by many as a “classic Northern California vintage”, the growing season kicked off with late winter rains that ushered in a cooler than average spring, followed by a long, moderate summer free of any challenging heat spikes. Late summer warmth, followed by a cooling period at picking time set the stage for a relaxed harvest and fully developed fruit at low sugars. All in all, the vintage’s ideal growing conditions and smaller cluster and berry sizes gave us wines – both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – showing tremendous depth of flavor, buoyant acidity and exquisite balance.

WINEMAKING AND COOPERAGE

The grapes were harvested in the early morning hours and transported immediately to the winery, where they were destemmed and cold soaked for 48 hours, inoculated with a low rate of Burgundian yeast and punched down three times daily. After fermentation, the wine rested 17 months in a mix of new (67%) and one-year old French oak barrels from the Allier, Vosges, Troncais and Bertranges forests.

TASTING NOTES

This is the second Chardonnay vintage from our newest estate vineyard, the Jasper Freestone Vineyard. It is located in the far western part of Sonoma, just seven miles from Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean. A true cool-climate reflection of its roots, our 2023 Jasper Freestone Vineyard Chardonnay is a strikingly redolent wine boasting a vivid core of honeydew melon, stone fruit, and citrus, mingled with notes of crushed oyster and framed by a racy acidity that persists on the long, lifted finish. Enjoy upon release or hold for up to 7-9 years.