2019 Chardonnay Green Acres
Tasting Notes A beautiful expression of site, clone and vintage, our 2019 Sangiacomo Green Acres Hill Chardonnay delivers a best of both worlds blend of buoyant fruit and rich mouthfeel. The wine opens with an effusive display of vibrant tropical and stone fruit accented by hints of spice and wet stone. On the palate more textural impressions emerge with almond cream, hazelnut and baked pastry adding depth and richness to the high-toned fruit, with bright acidity bringing a lovely tension to the long creamy finish.
Vineyard: This is the thirteenth vintage of our Green Acres Hill Chardonnay, from the famed Sangiacomo Vineyard in Carneros. Green Acres Hill is one of the most sought-after sections of the Sangiacomo Vineyard, distinguished by its coveted blend of site and clone. Perched on a knoll overlooking Fowler Creek and planted to the venerable Old Wente clone, the sustainably farmed vines benefit from well-drained, alluvial-gravelly soils and the region signature afternoon winds, all of which combine to extend the growing season, reduce the yields and concentrate the flavors. Given our long-standing relationship with both the family and vineyard, we have select rows reserved for Saxon Brown that are farmed to our specifications, providing us each year with extremely low yields of Chardonnay noted for its fruit concentration and natural acidity.
Winemaking: In keeping with our site-specific focus, we employ similar winemaking techniques for each of our Chardonnays so that the individual character of the vineyard is what truly distinguishes each bottling. The grapes for our 2019 Green Acres Hill Chardonnay were harvested in the early morning and transported immediately to the winery where they were whole-fruit pressed. After two days of cold settling, the juice was racked to small French Burgundy barrels, inoculated with a low rate of Burgundian yeast, and cold barrel fermented at 58-65°F for 100 days. The wine was aged sur lies for an additional 18 months in 50% French oak, undergoing true secondary malolactic fermentation in the spring. The wine was bottle unfiltered and unfined.
Tech Info:
Suggested Retail: $60
Case Production: 220 cases
Harvest Date: September 26
Brix at Harvest: 23.8
Clone: Wente
Aging: 18 mo 50% New French Oak
Bottled Date: April 28, 2021
Alc: 14.1 TA: 6.0 pH: 3.45