2016 Mindego Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay
$48
100% estate grown, single vineyard Chardonnay from our 1.3 acre home vineyard, 8 miles from the Pacific in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Whole-cluster pressed directly into 15% new, 75% neutral French oak and 10% stainless steel, aged sur lie for 11 months. 340 Cases produced
Acclaim For This Bottle
“The 2016 Chardonnay from Mindego Ridge is excellent, offering up aromas of pear, apple, white peach and pastry cream. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, elegantly textural and youthfully tight-knit, with bright acids and a chalky finish. Cellar it for 1-2 years and then enjoy it for the next 6 or 7.” – William Kelley” 93 Points. -William Kelley, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Technical Notes
In The Vineyard
In welcome contrast to 2015’s challenging vintage, the 2016 growing season kicked off with nearly normal winter rains and a warm January that advanced bud break. A cool summer then prolonged hang times allowing flavors to develop with ideal phenolic ripeness at modest sugar levels and remarkable acidity that is typical of this site. The wines that result are beautifully balanced, age-worthy and stunning to the core.
In The Cellar
To preserve the character of both the vineyard and vintage, the grapes are whole-cluster pressed directly to 15% new, 75% neutral French oak and 10% stainless steel. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeast followed by native ML fermentation, with 11 months on lees. This gentle process provides us a stable wine requiring neither fining nor filtration before bottling.
Data
Appellation: Santa Cruz Mountains
Winemaker: Ehren Jordan
Acreage: 1.3 acres Chardonnay, 100% Estate Grown
Exposure & Slope: South facing mountain slopes, 15-20%
Soil Type: 10-18” of silty clay loam over fractured shale subsoil
Marine Influence: 9 miles from the Pacific, adjacent to redwoods
Elevation: 675’ to 725’
Clone Selection: Dijon (17, 76, 96)
Rootstock Selection: 3309
Vine Spacing: 7’ x 4’ (1600 vines/acre)
Harvest: September 22, 2016
Barrel Regimen: French Oak, François Frères, 15% new, 75% neutral; 10% stainless steel
Barrel Aging: 11 months
Finished Alcohol: 13.5%
Chemistry @ Harvest:
22.2 Brix
3.51 pH
6.1 g/L titratable acidity
Bottled: August 2017
340 cases produced
