1998 Chardonnay
Accolades & Awards
| Gold Medal | New World International Wine Competition | Feb 2000 |
| Gold Medal | Pacific Rim International Wine Competition | Feb 2000 |
| Silver Medal | Pacific Northwest Enological Society | July 1999 |
| Silver Medal | Indiana State Fair (2,309 entries) | July 1999 |
| Silver Medal | Florida State Fair Wine Competition | Feb 2000 |
| Bronze Medal | American Wine Society | Dec 1999 |
Wine Spectator 90 POINTS. Smooth and polished, this is generous with its pear and citrus flavors, sliding in a pretty spicy oak note on the long finish. Picks up a hint of honey that expands on the aftertaste. Drink now through 2003. (November 1999)
Winetoday.com 3-1/2 STARS. Medium-bodied, ripe, toasty oak. Straw colored with aromas of anise, apple, and lemon drop. Creamy palate with caramel apple and pear. (September 1999)
Northwest Palate RECOMMENDED. Pale green straw color. Bright lemon fruit and toast aroma. Elegant, with creamy flavors of apple fruit and wood spice complexity. Well-balanced fruit and oak; serve with smoked turkey breast or ham. (September 1999)
International
Wine Cellar RECOMMENDED. Perfumed aromas of pear and cantaloupe. Fleshy and fairly intense flavored... flavor of peach. Somewhat sweet/sour on the finish.
(Sep/Oct 1999)
Vintage
Exceptional conditions during the 1998 growing season led to a very successful vintage. Smaller clusters of grapes and a lack of precipitation resulted in early ripening and nice concentration. Additionally, the vines thrived in the warm July and August weather and produced the high quality of fruit that allows us to craft wines of the caliber we desire. The Chardonnay grapes were harvested from our estate vineyard during the second week of September.
Winemaking
Shortly after being harvested, the grapes were pressed into stainless steel tanks and yeast was added for alcoholic fermentation. Two days after fermentation began, the fermenting juice was transferred to barrels to subtly integrate the flavors imparted by Burgundian oak. The wine was left on the lees after alcoholic fermentation and underwent partial malolactic fermentation (approximately 20%) in order to increase complexity and add a rich mouthfeel. We racked the wine from barrels after seven months and proceeded to a fairly tight filtration prior to bottling.
Winemaker Notes
Our Chardonnay offers a lively complex nose of pear, green apple, grapefruit, and banana with a hint of vanilla. The mouth shows rounded fruit flavors with citrus, pear, and subtle vanilla oak accents through the finish. This wine, very elegant and generous, will certainly improve through the year 2000.
Wine Data
pH: 3.56
TA: 0.60%
Alcohol: 13.5%
Production: 2,352 cases (750ml)
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