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1999 Reserve Chardonnay
Winemaker's Notes
This golden-straw Reserve Chardonnay displays intense papaya, honey, tropical fruit, melon, peach and mango aromas commingled with barley sugar, floral, oak, nutmeg and vanilla.
In the mouth this wine has a nice round entrance, with flavors of rich citrus, honey, tropical fruit, and apricot. This Chardonnay maintains a nice balance of acidity with toasty oak, cedar, and cinnamon-nutmeg on the finish. Suggested retail: $15.00
Technical Notes
| Vineyard |
% Blend |
Clone |
County |
| King Estate |
50% |
Dijon 76 |
Lane County |
| King Estate |
38% |
Blend |
Lane County |
| Columbia Country Vineyards |
12% |
Wente |
Hood River |
Final Analysis: 13.5% alcohol; TA: 0.63 g/100ml; pH: 3.52
Fermentation: 100% barrel fermentation; 75% malolactic fermentation.
Aging: 100% barrel aged for 12 months in French oak barrels: 50% new barrels, 25% one year old barrels, 25% two year old barrels; Sur lie aged for 12 months.
Growing Season
Bud-break this year started mid-April for most Oregon vineyards, a mere 5-10 days behind 1998’s schedule. Yet, the cold, dry month of May slowed the physiological growing process and therefore, flowering didn’t occur until the first week of July. During berry set, a fair amount of shatter occurred indicating that berries were insufficiently pollinated. As a result, the surviving berries were slightly larger with an average number of seeds per berry at 2-3.
The month of July presented Oregon with ideal growing temperatures, not too hot, not too cold, and very dry. With a cool, dry spring and a mild summer, Oregon vineyards entered the veraison process around September 10th. Harvest commenced on October 1st and finished around November 5th, presenting Oregon wineries with clean, dry fruit that was loaded with beautiful color, and intense aroma and flavor precursors.
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