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Wine Details
Price:
$27.00 per bottle
Description:
We are thrilled with everything about our 2003 Chardonnay vintage except for its modest size. Late rains to the end of May diminished fruit set, and June and July, which were the hottest months in memory, slowed ripening. But when we finally picked the fruit, all in one week, it came in glorious big bunches of juicy, translucent grapes! The resulting wine is medium straw in color and more concentrated in aromas and flavors than any Chardonnay we have produced in recent years. There is much to beguile you in this elegant wine, from the intense fruit aromas to the perfect balance of acid and richness. Breathe in the ripe pear fragrance, then let the lime and mineral flavors slip over your tongue, and finally enjoy the finish as it lingers on and on. For those of you new to Stony Hill, please note that our winemaking style emphasizes pure fruit flavors from the vineyards, and that we avoid new oak barrels, aging on the lees, and malolactic fermentation, any one of which could introduce foreign flavors and mask our delicate fruit.
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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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