2011 Chardonnay Geek Notes

Vintage:

2011 was the coolest vintages on record.  With a minimum of heat units, winemakers had to carefully choose the perfect moment to harvest.  Kirby Vickers and Steve Meyer worked together to allow the flavors to mature to ultimate ripeness.

Vineyard:

Vickers Vineyard is located on the Sunny Slope near Caldwell, Idaho. Owner Kirby Vickers and Steve Meyer share similar philosophies on Chardonnay making this a perfect pairing of winemaker and vineyard grower.

Winemaking:

The grapes are whole cluster pressed at the winery. The resulting juice is of top quality. No sulfer is added at the press so that the juice can naturally receive the yeast and fermentation environment. The juice is then transferred to barrels for fermentation. 80% of barrels had malolactic fermentation completed. The result is a wine of rich flavor and character.

Technical Data:

· Harvested: 10/25/11

· Bottled: 8/20/12

· Released: Spring 2013

· Brix: 22.5°

· pH: 3.35

· TA: 8.2 g/liter

· Cases produced: 518

· Alcohol: 13.2%

Awards:

86 points, Silver Medal BTI

Gold, Dallas Morning News Wine Competition