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2006 GLITTERING-THROATED EMERALD CHARDONNAY
CENTRAL COAST
THE HUMMINGBIRD MANTRA
Hummingbirds have been a part of Clos LaChance lore since the first vintage in 1992. Vintners Bill and Brenda Murphy chose the hummingbird as the symbol for Clos LaChance Winery due to its territorial nature and ability to chase away the grape-eating birds from the vineyards. Each wine in the Hummingbird Series is named for a true species of Hummingbird—a species that we feel has similar characteristics to the varietal. Glittering-Throated Emerald Hummingbirds are found only in South America. The preferred habitat of the species is open and semi-open spaces, including gardens. The males have a “glittering” green throat, while the females are easy to identify with a white strip in the middle of the “glittering” green. Fortunately, the species is not endangered at this time.
VINEYARDS
The grapes for the Glittering-Throated Emerald Chardonnay were sourced from vineyards owned by longtime Monterey County grape grower Scheid Vineyards. Riverview Vineyard (Soledad): Located two miles east of Soledad and adjacent to the Pinnacles, this 215-acre vineyard is nestled on a bench overlooking the Salinas river. It is an ideal Chardonnay growing location−the bench creates excellent air flow and the southwestern exposure maximizes available sunlight, allowing fruit to ripen slowly and evenly. The soils are well-drained and comprised of decomposed granite. San Lucas Vineyard (San Lucas): The sub-appellation of San Lucas is located approximately 12 miles south of King City. The vineyard has softly rolling topography. The loamy soil allows for deep root penetration of 60 inches or more. The gentle slopes are well drained and water permeability is moderately slow. Warm days followed by cool afternoon winds in the late afternoon present excellent climactic conditions for growing top quality wine grapes. Low shoot and cluster densities combined with a divided canopy trellis system (exposing fruit to filtered sunlight) optimizes the canopy-to-fruit ratio.
VINTAGE
2006 was the second year in a row that harvest was encompassed by cool weather for a significant portion of the growing season. January and February had unusually cold temperatures. March was very wet. Budbreak was several weeks behind. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. A long and excessive heat wave in July (110 degrees plus) did little damage, if any, because the grapes were still fairly green and thick-skinned at the time. August and September were relatively cool. The month of October was quite warm—fortunately speeding up the ripening process and getting the grapes into the winery only about two weeks behind schedule.
WINEMAKING
The fruit was whole cluster pressed then cold settled in a tank for 48 hours. The wine was then racked to stainless steel tanks and fermented at 50-55 degrees. Post fermentation the wine was racked, filtered and bottled. This Chardonnay has not been aged in oak or put through malolactic fermentation.
WINEMAKER‘S NOTES
This wine opens up with strong aromas of freshly cut green apple, melon and pear. A bowl full of tropical fruit salad (pineapples, bananas, mangos and papaya) is in there, as well as a hint of floral apple blossom. On the palate, the refreshing flavors of crisp apple and fresh citrus are balanced with an acidic component. The finish is fairly long considering that there was no oak used when making this wine. I really enjoy the lingering tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and banana.
FOOD PAIRING
Scallops with Mango Salsa, Chinese Chicken Salad, Camembert Cheese
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