Growing Conditions
The 2019 vintage was in many ways reminiscent of 2018 in that it started late and stayed on track for a late harvest. The extremely wet winter of 2019 helped the health of the canopies in the vineyard while filling our reservoirs with water for the season before, we enjoyed a remarkably long summer all during harvest. Identical in degree growing days, a measure of how warm the season has been, we enjoyed a very pleasant harvest with gorgeous, dark fruit for the reds and forward, pleasing whites.
We’re quite taken with the wines from this vintage. Pinot Noir yields were short and concentrated from our vineyard, while the Chardonnay bounty was more typical in yields. They shall be a bit more generous and earlier drinking than the previous, cooler vintage.
Winemaking
Our 2019 Chardonnay, Kite Tail is sourced from the bluff tops of our Los Carneros estate that experience the windiest days and thinnest soils. Crafted from the Old Wente clone, our Kite Tail offers a gorgeous combination of citrus, apricot and bright green apple notes with a hint of lemongrass and verbena. This wine has a bright combination of stone fruit kissed with lime zest, giving it a crisp structure and long, juicy finish.
