Santa Barbara County Chardonnay

Growing Region:

Known for its extended growing season and unique east-west valleys, Santa Barbara County offers grapes every opportunity to ripen to their fullest, thus delivering concentrated flavors and structure to the finished wines. Cool breezes from the nearby Pacific Ocean keep the temperatures mild and even most of the year, further enhancing fruit quality. Sandstone and limestone soils offer little in the way of nutrients, forcing the vines to struggle for growth, thereby producing berries packed with flavor intensity. A majority of the fruit for this wine came from Cat Canyon, which through its higher elevation and thus larger diurnal shifts in temperature, the grapes produce lovely acidity and intense tropical fruit flavors.

Winemkaing:

The 2008 vintage kicked off with a very warm spring in Santa Barbara County. The fruit for the 2008 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay came in before the big heat spike in the area allowing the fruit to retain its varietal characteristics and nice acidity. Each lot was kept separate. The whole clusters were sent directly to press in order to extract the juice as soon as possible and avoid any bitterness pickup from the skins. A cool ferment was employed to retain freshness. To maintain the rich and balanced flavor profile a small amount (14%) of the wine was fermented in seasoned American and French oak for a period of six months.

Winemaker's Notes:

The 2008 Santa Barbara Chardonnay has bright, inviting, lifted tropical fruit aromas of guava and pineapple. Background aromas of lemon citrus greet the palate that is highlighted by notes of vanilla and clove spice. The mouthfeel is round and fleshy and the wine finishes clean and refreshing.

Technical Information:

Appellation: Santa Barbara County, California
Alcohol: 13.6%
pH: 3.47
Total Acidity: 0.60 g/100ml
Harvest Date: September 2008
Bottle Date: August 2009
Release Date: September 2009
Cases Made: 15000

 

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