This wine surprised us
in that it started out as a rather lean acidic thing that just
grew and grew in the barrel. In August of each year we carefully
taste the chardonnays and try to decide if they are ready for
bottling before the harvest. This wine was not, and I had my doubts
as to how good it was going to turn out. But patience was rewarded.
By December it had transformed itself into a real beauty. And
I do mean it transformed itself, because we did nothing in the
winemaking! It just sat in barrels on the lees the whole time,
which enriched the wine, and brought out delicate characteristics
that were not apparent earlier.
The other interesting
thing about this wine is that it was aged exclusively in older
French oak barrels. There are no heavy oak flavors to muss up
its zippy deliciousness.