Analysis:
Alcohol: 14% | PH: 3.61 | Titratable acidity: 6.08 g/L
Bottling Date: August 2016
Cellaring: 3+ years
Tasting Notes:
A restrained, crisp and fresh Chardonnay that nicely balances aromas of ripe cantaloupe melon and peach fruit with complex popcorn, hazelnut, and lemon notes. The palate is medium-bodied, has crisp mineral acidity and intense lemon zest, nectarine, peach and some interesting subtle nutty oak notes in the background. The finish is long, crisp and refreshing with layers of flavours of savoury lees and fruit complexity that unfold in the glass. Pair this with halibut sautéed in butter or rotisserie chicken. Rhys Pender, Master of Wine
Wine Making:
The 2015 growing season was a grape grower’s dream come true. The long growing season started in April followed by unusual heat in June producing vines with small, concentrated berries. The summer months allowed for even ripening followed by one of the South Okanagan’s “legendary” dry autumns. Warm days promoted the ripening process with cool nights to balance the ripeness with acidity. We heard President Chris Wyse say it was “Stellar”…
The estate grown Chardonnay grapes were handpicked on September 14th, 24th, 25th and 28th 2016. They were hand sorted and then dropped whole-cluster into our pneumatic press for a gentle extraction of the juice. Gravity fed into tank, the juice was chilled overnight to remove excess solids. Half of the juice was fermented in tank while the second half fermented in oak barrels. Each method has advantages: fermentation under temperature-controlled tanks produces vibrant and lean wines while barrel fermentation brings savoury and subtle oaky undertones that rounds out texture due to lees stirring. Partial malolactic fermentation was followed by 9 months ageing in oak. The wine was filtered and cold stabilized prior to bottling. It was allowed to further age in bottle before its release.
Ageing: 84% French, 12% American and 4% Russian with 63% new and 30% one-year old oak
