1998 Camp Meeting Ridge - Chardonnay
Tasting Notes
Fresh, ripe lychee presents itself on the nose when first encountering the results of 1998's tiny crop. There is more tropical fruit leaning towards guava and paw-paws with laces of passion flower than we have seen before on The Ridge. Fruit focus is well-balanced by the hazelnut and grilled almond elements of elevage sur lies and hints of toasty oak. Elements of stonefruit, mineral, forest floor and animale are present, speaking of the place name of Camp Meeting Ridge. On the palate, the tiny clusters (average of 23 grams - about a dozen fitting in our cellarmaster's outstretched palm) yielded great concentration, richness and depth without being cloying. The high natural acidity ensures a long, lingering finish and gives backbone to support the richness that the 1998 vintage provided the wines.
Facts
- Blend of 3 clones on 2 different rootstocks across 6 different sections of our home ranch
- Primarily native yeast & malolactic fermentations with a splash of Montrachet inoculum
- 80% new oak: Primarily Seguin Moreau Chassagne Montrachet and François Freres with Latour, Marsannay, D&J, Damy and Remond represented. Primarily Allier forest with a medium + toast level. Total time in barrel: 10 months
- Harvest: Late October; bottled in late December 1999. 800 cases produced.
Clone locations/component descriptions
| Section | Spacing/Clone | Mesoclimate and Component Description |
|---|---|---|
| Block 1 | 5x8 Old Wente Hyde on 3309 rootstock | West-facing, slightly richer soils give later ripeness and more tropical fruit and richness |
| Block 3 Upper | 5x8 Old Wente Hyde on 3309 rootstock | Shallow, higher pH soil gives more mineral and lime elements, more tightness on the back palate |
| Block 3 Midule | 5x8 Old Wente Hyde on 309 rootstock | Slightly more clay-oriented soils and even solar exposure gives some character each from upper Block 3 and block 1 |
| Block 6 | Disk-terraced Hyde on 3309 rootstock | Intense rocky, steep soils and North-facing aspect yield miniscule crop with a great deal of power, intensity, mineral and animale elements |
| Block 4 | 5x8 Old Wente Hyde | Relative flat, more loamy soils yield spicy, lime & citrusfruit aspects |
| Block 5 | Quadrilateral, 5x8, Dijon 76 on 3309 stock | Very loamy soil with ample underground water require larger canopies that yield more pear and apple tones and a green tinge to the color |
| Block 6 Lower | 1x2 meters, Dimmick selection on 3309 stock | NW facing slope on Cordon gives apple-pie (fruit, dough, spice and all) with a touch of fatness on the finish |
| Block 6 Upper | As above but cordon-trained on 5C rootstock | More shading from forest and slightly richer soils yield more pure apple and pear with a touch of fresh greenness and very soft late palate fade |
Final bottling technical information
- Acids: pH: 3.7, TA: 7.4 g/L
- 13.7% alcohol
- Residual sugar: 0.1 (very, very dry)