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Wine Details
Price:
$45.00 per bottle
Description:
The 2005 Peay Vineyard Estate Chardonnay was also picked later than normal due to our cool fall weather and at quite low yields. The fruit was whole cluster pressed and fermented with 100% indigenous yeast and aged 14 months in 43% new French oak consisting of François Frères, Chalufour, Remond and Damy barriques.
The result is a focused wine with richness on the nose and characters reminiscent of the 2004 on the palate. The nose is full with an echo of hazelnut and a strong backbone of white truffle. The wine opens on the front of the palate with highlights of honeydew melon, apricot and almond biscotti. The mid palate is focused with flavors of gunmetal, flint and limestone that were the hallmark of the 2004 Estate Chardonnay. The acid is clean and crisp and the finish long and lingering. The 2005 will age well and further develop interesting characteristics though it may have a shorter life than the 2004. We recommend you decant when drinking on release and age the remaining wines for at least 3-5 years.
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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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