Wine Profile

Winemaking Notes:  Blessed with outstanding fruit sourced from the Naramata Bench, this wine was whole cluster pressed for a fresh fruit profile, and settled by gravity into barrels for primary and secondary fermentation which brings extra richness and complexity and a lovely elegant texture that does not overpower the fruit.

We are continuing to use larger format barrels called puncheons.  At double the volume (500 litres), these larger barrels allow us to still add oak flavours, but at a lesser rate as there is a higher juice to oak ratio, and still allows the oak tannins to integrate nicely into the wine.

This Chardonnay opens with a preserved lemon and honeysuckle nose. It has a fantastic balance between fresh acidity offered by all our 2011 whites and butterscotch and lemon meringue on the palate.

Vintage Notes: The 2011 growing season was a late season from beginning to end. Bud break was 3 weeks behind normal and while we did get some decent heat units in August and September, the vineyards just never caught up. Our prudent vineyard managers cropped lightly throughout the season to give the vines the best chance in ripening. Thankfully, October brought some above average temperatures allowing us to keep fruit hanging until mid-November. The quality of white varieties in particular was very good with lower Brix levels but much better acid balance.

Only 314 cases produced.

Awards & ratings

90 Points, John Schreiner