Description
TASTING NOTES Our Columbia Valley Chardonnay is a pleasurable, food-friendly Chardonnay. It is crafted in a fresh, soft style with bright apple and sweet citrus fruit character with subtle spice and oak nuances. We blend Chardonnay grapes from vineyards throughout Washingtons Columbia Valley to make this a complex and interesting wine. Cheers!- Bob Bertheau, WinemakerVINTAGE The 2016 vintage experienced the best of both worlds with a hot spring and early summer, but also a cool fall season.Cooler temperatures in August and September slowed down ripening and resulted in longer hang time for the grapes and the longest harvest on record in Washington State August 15 -November 15.Overall, 2016 saw very favorable growing conditions, producing wines with ripeness and elegance.VINEYARDS Columbia Valley vineyards lie in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains and receive just 68 inches of rainfall annually.Warm, sunny days and cool evenings create ideal conditions for aroma and flavor development in the ripening grapes.A northerly latitude gives the Columbia Valley roughly two more hours of sunlight daily during the peak-growing season than California, increasing the regions ability to ripen fruit.WINEMAKING The Columbia Valley blend is made from multiple vineyard lots resulting in a complex, layered Chardonnay.Malolactic fermentation follows yeast fermentation for added richness and complexity.48% tank fermented Chardonnay was added to the blend to make a fresh style of Chardonnay.Sur lie aged for more than six months in a mix of French and American oak barrels 10% new with regular stirring to soften the wine and integrate fruit and oak flavors.FOOD PAIRING FoodsCrab, poultry, salmon, scallopsHerbsGinger, lemon zest, tarragon, thyme. – Chateau Ste. Michelle
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