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| Charles Heintz |
Sonoma Coast |
Sonoma |
lemon meringue, kettle corn, flint
honeyed nectarine, orange zest, jasmine
steamed lobster, chicken w/ brown butter, washed-rind cheeses
VINIFICATION
5.9 tons hand picked on sept 23. intensive hand-sorting
performed. whole cluster pressed. cold fermented in stainless
steel tanks (no oak) using a wild yeast. naturally occurring
malolactic fermentation. 6-month fine lees contact.
SITE
located on the 2nd ridge in from the pacific ocean at the junction
of the green valley, russian river valley, and sonoma coast ava's.
1982 planting of chardonnay clone 4 sits at elevation of 1,000
feet in soft, sandy loam soil known locally as "goldridge."
proximity to the sea and its constant fog necessitates an
extended growing season. meticulous, labor-intensive farming
methods (leaf pulling, green harvesting, cluster sorting)
executed by 3rd generation farmer charley heintz.
"two-thousand six was the most difficult year ever in this
vineyard," refrained charley heintz. "not if you made a late
harvest chardonnay," i replied. in 2007, the noble rot amplitude
was turned way down and the voice of the vineyard came
through in all its saline glory. it may well have been the best 07
white we produced. in 2008--a year reviled by many north coast
growers who suffered through record spring frost and autumn
wildfires--the heintz ranch steered clear. frost damage was a
negligible 1% and the fruit set was abundant enough to require
some thinning (which charley excels at). the fires and smoke in
the area blew right by this shaded little valley. a new method of
canopy management was exercised, opening the center leaves
and providing "perfect filtered mid-day sunlight." it was happy
days around charley's vineyard, and from our two contracted
rows, lioco got its biggest yield to date. what you'll find in the 08
heintz,is a diamond cut chardonnay free from botrytis (unlike
both 06 and 07). the palate impression alludes to tension. the
signatures of the vineyard are present: a clay minerality
balanced by hedonic fruit. and, as is characteristic of the
vintage, the wine has great "purity." look for this wine to blossom
with bottle age.
| kevin kelley |
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| now through 2014+ |
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