Tasting Notes: Aromas of blood orange, white cranberry, grapefruit peel, rose, strawberry crème, salt, iron, musk and baking spice. Vibrant, eager pink flavors have savory flourishes of pale, red fruit and sweet, dark earthiness.
Vineyard Notes: 95% Chardonnay from Seven Springs Vineyard and 5% Pinot noir and lees from Maresh Vineyard
Vintage Notes: A very dry and solar vintage, 2018 began with a cool spring. After average to slightly late bud break, hydric stress protracted flowering, tempering berry and cluster size. Nearly 90 days passed without precipitation between May and August, but vegetative growth and sugar accumulation caught up with recent averages. Dry, warm days, luckily, were followed by cool evenings. By late August, cooler temperatures slowed sugars, yet physiological ripeness progressed as berries basked in the dappled sunlight. Light showers in early September were a boon,
nourishing parched vines and pushing flavor and skin ripeness. Disease/mildew pressure remained low and harvest commenced 9/10/18 with younger vines in warmer sites, completing with older vines and heritage clones in cooler sites by 10/2/18. Fruit was harvested in optimal conditions with electric flavors, bolstered by potential alcohols ranging from 12.5-14% and balanced acidities with high tartaric acids compared to lower than average malic acids.
Vinification Notes: The 2018 Pink Label Chardonnay continues to explore how minute additions of Pinot noir and Pinot noir lees can enhance the dimensions of Chardonnay, creating a unique rosé wine which is rare, modest and distinct. Seven Springs Chardonnay was hand-picked and pressed on September 20th, 2018. After 12 hours of settling, the juice was lightly sulfured. Ambient yeast fermentations finished dry in French oak within four weeks.
Uninoculated malolactic completed between late October and early December. After nine months aging on lees in neutral 228L French oak barrels, Springs Vineyard Chardonnay was gas racked to a neutral 300L puncheon and dosed with 5% 2018 Pinot noir and lees from Maresh Vineyard. The wine spent the second winter in puncheon with no lees stirring before being gas racked to stainless steel in February 2020. Lightly fined with bentonite, this wine was bottled without filtration after 18 months aging, in March 2020.