2008 Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay
Winemaker's Notes
Captivating aromas of fresh peach cobbler, guava, apples and nice toasty vanilla dominate the nose in your glass. The rich, full flavors of ripe Fuji apples, white peaches, mineral and toasted marshmallows linger on the palate. A rich and creamy mouthfeel of fresh fruits is complemented by a long, refreshing, citrusy finish. A very complex wine from older vines planted in beautiful Goldridge soils.
—Winemaker Bob Cabral
The Vineyard
This vineyard site has belonged to the Heintz family for over 100 years. In 1980, it was planted with clone 4 Chardonnay. Located in the Russian River Valley town of Occidental, and sitting at an elevation of 1,000 feet, cool foggy evenings and warm sunny days allow the grapes an extended hang time, producing fruit with high acid levels that give great structure and balance to the wine.
Harvest 2008
2008 provided very concentrated, flavorful and high quality wines that are vividly expressive of the vineyards in which they were grown, despite being a difficult year for growing. The combination of numerous springtime frosts and cold rains damaged our buds and clusters, thus resulting in a lighter than average year. During the summer, the vines encountered near-perfect fruit ripening weather characterized by warm and sunny days with exceptionally few heat spikes. Very warm August temperatures quickened ripening beginning a very early, fast and furious harvest. The decreased yields resulted in very concentrated and extremely high quality wines, with brilliant flavor and phenolic ripening. The wines of 2008 express their distinctive sites and qualities in a very intense and focused manner: this is truly a vintage for the cellars, with great ageing potential for years to come.
Technical Notes
| Barrel Description: | 22% new, 22% 1-year-old, 22% 2-year-old, 34% 3+ year old |
|---|---|
| Barrel Aged: | 16 months |
| pH: | 3.31 |
| TA: | 0.70g/100ml |
| Alc.: | 14.9% |
| Release Date: | Spring 2010 |
| Release Price: | $50 |