2022 Chardonnay, Durell Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Vineyard: The famed Durell Vineyard lies in the southernmost part of Sonoma Valley, within the Sonoma Coast appellation. The site is less than 10 miles from the San Pablo Bay and on the edge of the Petaluma Gap, with afternoon breezes that draw in cooling fog most days during the growing season. The vineyard’s unique mix of cool coastal and warm valley floor microclimates, combined with rocky creek bed soils, and Heritage clones produces small, intensely flavored grape clusters. This was intensified in 2022, a superb growing season that saw smaller cluster counts and size with excellent fruit concentration and tannic impression.
Winemaking: In keeping with our commitment to promoting individual sight signature, we employ similar winemaking with all our Chardonnays. In keeping with this, our 2022 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay was picked under lights in the very early morning and whole fruit pressed. After settling for three days, the juice was racked to 50% new French oak barrels and inoculated with a low rate of Burgundian yeast. The wine was cold barrel fermented at 58-68°F for over 100 days before aging for an additional 14 months; undergoing a true secondary malolactic fermentation in the spring. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Notes: Rich and elegantly structured, our 2022 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay offers a lush complement of peach pastry, apple tart and buttered toffee notes buoyed by bright acidity and hints of wet stone and lemon zest on the palate, with a lively tension that persists throughout the wine’s long peaches and cream finish. Enjoy upon release or hold for up to 7 years.
Tech Info:
Suggested Retail: $75
Aging: 18 months French Oak
Case Production: 153
Bottled Date: May, 6 2022
Harvest Date: September 12, 2022
Alc: 14.4
Clone: Mt Eden, Rued/Sees
TA: 6.15
Brix at harvest: 23.8
pH: 3.31