Growing Conditions
56% Martinelli Charles Ranch, 21% RitchieVineyard, 12% Platt Vineyard, and 11% Hyde Robert Young. This is the fourth vintage to be dominated by the Martinelli Charles Ranch on Bohan Dillon Road. Planted in 1982, this is one of the most spectacular vineyards in Sonoma County. Our Sonoma Coast bottling reflects its region and so is a bit crisper and leaner than our Russian River.
2011 was the coolest vintage in many years, one which was chased into the winery by a series of rainstorms. In fact we made less of this blend this year since two of our vineyards didn't ripen and were not harvested for us. Those that came in, however, produced our style of Chardonnay—a perfect balance of old world style and new world fruit, albeit leaner than in warmer vintages.
Bottling
The 2011 was then bottled without filtration in February, 2013.
Winemaking
We press the whole clusters for delicacy. Native-yeast and full native malolactic fermentation take place in barrel, with sur lies bâtonnage.
Aging
Our appellation Chardonnays are given less new oak—twenty to twenty-five percent—and spend less time in barrel—twelve months–than the single-vineyard Chardonnays, but otherwise are made identically. After aging in barrel 12 months, it is fined and stabilized in tank during the following harvest.