2004 Andreen-Gale Cuvée Chardonnay
download PDFTasting Notes
Brilliant, slightly straw color. Citrus aromas of lime and lemon-butter followed by subtle notes of clove and vanilla bean. Fruit flavors and honey on entry complimented by round mouth-feel and defined CMR minerality leading to a long, complex finish. This wine spent 11 months in barrel and an additional year at the winery in bottle prior to this release. Drinking impressively now and will continue to develop.
Vineyards
A selection of fruit sourced from our Camp Meeting Ridge vineyard plus additional vineyards in the coolest regions of the Sonoma Coast appellation, including the Durell and Dutton Vineyards. Old Wente from Camp Meeting Ridge is the predominate clone (more than 70%) with the balance being a mix of Dijon clones and mature Clone 4. This vintage provided grapes of exceptional uniformity and maturity that produced a wine that is lively, elegant and feisty.
Harvest
Mid September 2004
Winemaking
Careful hand sorting and whole cluster pressing. Fermentation with indigenous, native yeasts accompanied by regular battonage until the completion of the malolactic fermentation in the spring of 2005. At the end of barrel aging the wine was gently inert gas-racked to tank for settling.
Cooperage and Aging
30% new barrels; 100% French Oak
Total time in barrel: 11 months
Bottling
August 2006; 1492 cases produced.
Final bottling technical information
- pH: 3.5
- TA: 0.589 g/100 ml
- Alcohol: 14.5%
Release Date
Fall 2006