Nose
Perfumed with lime rind and honeydew.
Palate
The unctuous palate is
satiny and viscous, brimming with succulent flavors of Golden Delicious apple, peach, fig and
citrus oil. Hints of vanilla custard and bright, intense minerality intermingle over a lasting
finish.
Growing Conditions
: 2008 began with an exceptionally dry spring and early budbreak. Frosts in
April significantly lowered cluster counts. Weather stabilized and warmed through summer,
with warmer temperatures continuing through harvest. A smaller crop of high quality fruit
was able to ripen fully and evenly, developing an excellent balance of sugars and acid.
Overall, the 2008 wines are bright and expressive with well‐articulated flavors.
Clonal Selection: Wente
Harvest
Hand‐harvested grapes.
Bottling
Unfined and unfiltered; bottled August 2009
Winemaking
Whole cluster, direct to press, cold
Barrel‐fermented with indigenous yeasts; 6 months to completion
Concurrent spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels
Aging
Aged 11 months in French oak barrels; 63% new; Aged sur lies; biweekly bâtonnage.
Appearance
Full‐bodied, fruit‐ and mineral‐
driven, it is pale gold.