Nose
This wine opens with aromas of lemon and neroli oil, floral hints of lily and acacia, and the suggestion of fresh
brioche.
Palate
The smooth, unctuous palate is clean, complex and harmonious with fresh apricot characters. Warm
notes of clove and nutmeg, carry over the rich, lengthy finish.
Growing Conditions
The 2015 vintage reflects our tireless dedication to create stunning wines amidst a challenging growing
season. An unusually warm spring led to early budbreak and rapid vine growth, but upon bloom, the weather
turned cool and foggy which slowed development and forced a small fruit set. Summer arrived with considerable
heat, propelling the grapes into early and intense flavor concentration. Ripening was then slowed by spells of
unusually low temperatures. These fits and starts demanded constant readiness and precision in all our
farming practices. Our team patiently and carefully walked row by row, watching for peak ripeness in each
block. In the winery, we rigorously selected only the finest barrels of Chardonnay, resulting in a wine that
shines with intensity, complexity and bright acidity.
Vineyards: Pahlmeyer Estate Vineyard, Atlas Peak Vineyard
Please contact Pahlmeyer (707) 255-2321 for availability on 750ml bottles
Bottling
The wine was bottled without fining or filtration on Aug. 16, 2016
Winemaking
Our Chardonnay was picked during the cool of the night and each cluster was inspected and hand sorted at
the winery before being gravity fed into the bladder press. The juice settled in stainless steel tanks for 24
hours at 50 degrees. After rigorous inspection, we racked the finest lots to new French oak barrels and monitored
fermentation daily, stirring the lees only as needed to stimulate the process.
Aging
After malolactic fermentation,
we commingled lots for the first time then barreled down the blend into 95% new François Frères
French oak — primarily Vosges VTG — for 11 months.
