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Wine Details
Price:
$26.00 per bottle
Description:
Behler Vineyard, our estate vineyard in the heart of Sonoma Valley, provides majority of grapes that go into this big, buttery Chardonnay. Its volcanic rock and loam have provided St. Francis with grapes of structure and integrity for all our previous reserve Chardonnay vintages. We harvest the fruit at its peak, and then ferment it in new French oak barrels with 100% malolactic treatment. After aging nine months, with occasional stirring of the lees, we select only the finest barrels for our reserve blend. The finished wine has a bouquet of tropical and exotic fruits fragrant with new oak and vanilla. On the palate, the fruit flavors are fully concentrated, and the texture is rich and buttery, supported by balanced acidity and firm structure.
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Varietal Definition
Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is by far the most widely planted grape crop in California and dominates California’s cooler, coastal, quality wine regions. The natural varietal ‘taste and smell’ of Chardonnay is surprisingly unfamiliar to many wine drinkers, as its true character is often guised with dominating winemaking signatures. Chardonnay’s rather subdued primary fruit characteristics lean toward the crisp fruitiness of apples, pears and lemon, but the variety’s full body is capable of supporting a host of complementary characteristics, such as oak, butter and vanilla. Regardless of what is the appropriate style for Chardonnay, the varietal continues to dominate vineyard plantings in every corner of the world. Close attention to clonal selection has made this broad geographic and climactic range of Chardonnay viable in thoughtful viticultural hands.
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