2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay
Titratable Acidity: 0.53 g/100ml
pH: 3.49
Residual Sugar: 0.66 g/100ml
Alcohol Level: 13.44%
Harvest Dates: August 22nd – October 6th
Barrel Regime: Aged in French and American oak barrels
Bottling Date: April 2009
Release Date: September 2009
Wine Tasting Notes
Our 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay reveals elegant aromas of creamy vanilla, honeysuckle and ripe fruit of white peach and pear. This wine is full bodied and rich with refined acidity that is maintained through the intense fruit and vanilla focused finish.
Viticulture Notes
A dry winter and warm, dry spring initiated an early start to the 2007 growing season. The weather remained fairly mild through the harvest months with the only heat spike occurring in early September. Temperatures cooled throughout the remainder of September which slowed the ripening of certain varietals and set a good pace for the rest of harvest. This allowed winemakers to focus on bringing in and crushing one variety at a time. Many wineries waited until the very end of harvest to pick some of the later-ripening varieties, and were rewarded with a very high quality crop. Overall, the 2007 crop was much smaller and produced lower alcohol levels in the wines than in 2005 and 2006, but quality is exceptional.
Winemaker notes
The Chardonnay grapes were hand harvested at night between August 22nd and October 6th. The grapes were gently pressed as whole clusters and after the juice settled overnight, it was racked, inoculated with yeast to initiate primary fermentation. Afterward, the wine underwent malolactic fermentation and was aged in French and American oak barrels on lees. The final blend was crafted after each lot was evaluated individually.
