|
2007 Liebeler Vineyard Chardonnay
Vineyards
The rugged topography of the Santa Cruz Mountains limits the size of individual vineyards. The costs associated with planting small mountain vineyards limits the overall acreage devoted to grapes in this cool coastal appellation. The Liebeler Vineyard is located within the town limits of Woodside, CA. It also falls within the unique elevation requirements of the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation. The vineyard is quite small—only 2.5 acres of Chardonnay are planted. Low-nutrient soils and cooling coastal fog keep Liebeler grapes on the vine into the latter part of the harvest season.
Winemaking
The grapes were hand-picked and immediately brought to the winery where they were whole-cluster pressed. The free-run juice was cold settled for 24 hours then racked to barrels where both primary and malolactic fermentations took place. The lees were stirred twice a week for 12 weeks, then once a month thereafter. The wine aged for 13 months in 50% new French oak barrels was racked once prior to racking for bottling. There was no fining or filtering, resulting in a naturally produced hand-crafted wine that may throw a sediment.
Tasting Notes
A lemony yellow with a slight cloudiness and some remnants of the less the wine was aged on. Very tropical fruit aromas: pineapples, Asian pears, apples and banana. The new French oak imparts the classic caramel and vanilla notes with a hint of toast, but the oak is very balanced with the fruit and solid acidity. A rich mouthfeel immediately upon entry, with the toasty oak and more subdued fruit flavors of pear and apple dominating the palate. Hints of butterscotch and vanilla on the finish. Pair with a chicken or fish dish with a creamy, buttery sauce and capers.
|
 "Click here to enlarge image!")
Click to enlarge image