L'Ecole #41 Chardonnay Columbia Valley 2010

2008 Vintage Tasting Notes

Wine Press NW says: "An intriguing Chardonnay from winemaker Marty Chubb that shows off vanilla and saffron aromas with flavors of light butterscotch, lemon custard and zippy tropical fruit. Won gold at the Washington State Wine Competition."

July 2006 - Variety: 100% Chardonnay Vineyards: This wine is a blend of three distinguished vineyards: 55% Fair Acre Vineyards, 37% Evergreen, and 9% Sagemoor.

Winemaker Comments: "Some of the best Chardonnays in Washington State are grown in the slightly cooler growing conditions of Yakima Valley and in the northern latitudes of the Columbia Valley. Fair Acre Vineyard (Yakima Valley) provides ripe tropical fruit, while Evergreen (latitude 47 on the Columbia River) contributes crisp acidity and minerality. The old vines at the warmer Sagemoor Vineyard provide a nuance of ripe melon and pear on this Burgundian style Chardonnay."

Harvest: The cool 2005 Spring provided perfect conditions for balanced tissue regeneration and canopy growth on the heels of the hard 2004 Winter. Additional thinning efforts were required to balance cluster development and fruit uniformity after a cooler fruit set in June. Normal summer sunshine and heat units led to an awesome late season ripening period, with intense sunshine and little or no rain. The overall season crop load was lower than normal, at 2 ? to 3 tons per acre. Our traditional cool long harvest resulted in fabulous fruit quality, with bright clean aromatics and acidity in the whites and vibrant extraction and rich color in the red wines.

Technical: The warmer Sagemoor vineyard was harvested the second week of September while the cooler regions of Fair Acre and Evergreen were harvested in early to mid-October. Average ripeness was 24.2 Brix, 0.65 g/100ml acidity, and 3.44 pH. Bottled 3,816 cases June 7-8th, 2006; 3.54 pH, acid 0.58 g/100ml, 14.2% alcohol by volume, <0.2% residual sugar. Description: Elegantly balanced, this Burgundian style Chardonnay shows crisp Fuji apple, Asian pear and lively tropical melon flavors with subtle mineral and spice that gain complexity on a long robust finish.

Vinification: The fruit was lightly whole-cluster pressed to tank and allowed to settle. The juice was then racked off of the solids into new and second year French oak barrels where it was aged sur lie for seven months. Malolactic fermentation was introduced in barrel, resulting in a rich mouth feel and a creamy full finish.