Sonoma
fresh meyer lemon, lime leaf, river stones
lemon drop candies, green pear, mineral
green curry chicken, dungeoness crab, fish chowder
the fruit was hand harvested, then whole-cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks (no oak) with wild yeasts. malolactic fermentation occurred naturally and finished completely. the wine remained in tank on the fine lees for 6-months before
bottling.
a selection of complementary sonoma county vineyards compose
this wine. while each site is distinct, they share a common
commitment to sustainable horticulture and strident farming. our
intention for this wine is to express, as transparently as possible, the
unique character of this region. warm days and cool nights, tempered
by consistent oceanic fog, yield full and rich chardonnays balanced by
brisk acidity.
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| 3.71 |
5.6 g/l |
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| 0.05 g/l |
22.7 – 23.6 |
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‘the coldest summer in fifty years…’ this climatic phenomenon was
perhaps the defining feature of the vintage. it rained well into spring
and temperatures remained downright wintery until june. bud break
was extremely late and the fruit that did set was wracked by shatter
(irregular cluster sizes and attendant lower yields). “normal” summer
temps continued to allude the north coast all the way through harvest.
many growers located “out on the margins” (ie. sonoma coast, green
valley, anderson valley—places we like to farm fruit) were
contemplating the unthinkable: the fruit may not ripen!! in sunny
california, where we make a horticultural practice of retarding sugar
production in the vine, there simply was no precedent for this. late
season acid levels in the fruit were commensurate with those found
in german wine growing! in the end, it was a test of will. those with
the courage to wait for building sugars and receding acid levels would
be rewarded. many growers, spooked by the thought of unsellable,
unripened fruit, defoliated their vines (exposing fruit clusters to the
elusive sun). on cue, california experienced a late season heat storm
that turned many vineyards into raisin farms. it was a tragic twist of
fate. fortunately for lioco, our strict policy of canopy management
saved us from this end. believing that california can even in the
coldest years fully ripen its fruit, we prohibit our growers from
defoliating our vineyard blocks. in 2010, this paid off in spades. our
blocks, with big leafy canopies, faired quite well in the record heat and
enjoyed another two weeks on the vine developing flavors before
harvest. what ensued was a white wine vintage unlike any we have
ever seen. a vintage europhiles will love—one with high acid, low pH,
low alcohol, and great flavors. flatly stated, this 2010 chardonnay
soco is our favorite one yet—the culmination of five years of refining
fruit sources, vineyard practices, and fermentation techniques. and a
quasi-blessing by mother nature.
| kevin kelley |
9800 |
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| now through 2012+ |
view |
