Westrey Chardonnay Reserve 07
Westrey Chardonnay Reserve 07 - A heavily perfumed nose announces this splendid wine, with white flowers such as mexican orange and jasmine subtly intertwined with scents of crisp citrus, green apple, and what Marcus called "grapefruit custard". The flavors all fall within a lovely crisp acidity that lifts the wine - there's classic citrus and apple flavors, with complex layered notes of Meyer Lemon, citrus peel, and a hint of flinty minerality in the finish. THe finish is long and very clean.
Wonderful wine for food, pair with pan-seared macademia nut crusted halibut, fettucine alfredo, any creamy pasta dish, scallops, even foods you'd often consider best with sauvignon blanc, like oysters. There's a delightful freshness to this wine reminiscent of Sauvignon blanc but the wine is much more concentrated.
From the winery:
Intense varietal flavors introduce an opulent wine of complexity and depth. Rich golden straw color reveals pear and apple aromas. These aromas are enhanced by sweet spicy oak, an undercurrent of minerals. The concentration of sweet fruit in the wine stands out as the finish lingers with crisp acidity.
Westrey has been searching for old vine Chardonnay to replace our previous sources that were lost to phylloxera. It has only been with the resuscitation of the 30-year-old Draper Selection Chardonnay at Oracle vineyard that we have felt confident that we have found a source that will meet our expectations. We have consistently demanded length, richness, and balance for our Reserve wines; and this wine has it all. 57% Oracle Vineyard and 43% Justice Vineyard (Dijon clone 76) make up this reserve blend. We pursue a very extended fermentation for Chardonnay, six months on average, striving for richness of fruit in the wine.
This seven barrel lot included one new barrel (14.3%) and two one-year-old barrels. The wine was bottled without filtration and may have a small amount of natural sediment in the bottle. 166 cases & 2 cases of magnums produced.
MORE INFORMATION
This elegant Chardonnay is made from Oracle Vineyard and Justice Vineyard fruit. It was aged in 25% new oak to enhance the midpalate, add length, and evoke the terroir of the vineyards.
Oracle Vineyard, from which Westrey sources fruit, is close to Abbey Ridge Vineyard. Its white wine grapes show a pronounced minerality, inherent to the Draper Clone (with which it is planted). Its red wine grapes (Pinot noir) show floral rose petal in the nose, and crushed red fruit flavors on the palate. Oracle is a cooler site, higher up on the hill than other vineyards in the area, and is predominantly Jory soil. Maresh and Weber Vineyards are on the other side of the hill from Oracle, and Le Pavillon and Clos Electrique Vineyards are below Oracle,.
