Artesa Vineyards & Winery - Carneros Chardonnay

Classic Tier Reserve Tier Limited Release Wines

Albariño
Carneros Estate Cabernet Franc
Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley

Chardonnay
Carneros Gewürztraminer
San Benito County
Select Late Harvest Merlot
Napa Valley Pinot Blanc
Carneros Estate Pinot Noir
Carneros

Artesa's Estate Chardonnay vineyards hang on the hillsides around the winery on the foothills of Mount Veeder. This wine comes from some of the highest elevation vineyards in Carneros. The great drainage of our blocks ensures intensely flavored small berries and low yields. Temperatures are moderated by the adjoining San Pablo Bay, cool afternoon breezes and persistent morning fog. The sun burns off this fog late in the morning causing the temperature to immediately jump 15 degrees. This climate yields grapes that have both enough cool hang time and sunshine to develop great depth of flavor with natural acid.

Winemaking
Gently hand harvested, the grapes were whole cluster pressed using the most gentle of sparkling wine pressing methods. Most lots were inoculated with one of several yeast strains; some lots went through uninoculated fermentations. This wine was barrel fermented with sur lees stirring and aging. 80% of this wine has undergone a secondary malolactic fermentation to enhance its buttery creaminess. Each barrel is personally selected for the blend by our winemaker. The final blend consists of 50% new oak.

Tasting Notes
Aromatically and by mouth this wine is full of pear, green apple, vanilla dusted creme brulee and a hint of pineapple. Balanced, seamless, multi-layered and elegant; this wine has a triple creme brie texture that melts into a lingering lemon tart, baked pear, toasted vanilla bean and butterscotch finish. Excellent balance enables the fruit to dance on the tongue through the entire taste and provides the structure to age gracefully.

Alcohol content, 14.2% by volume.
793 cases produced.