chardonnay

100% grown at Mercier Vineyard, a subsidiary of Le Vieux Pin, located in West Oliver. The fruit comes from beautiful 27 year old vines, and are all organically farmed and planted on a fluvial bed of soils that were deposited against an ice lobe that filled the bottom of the valley during the last glacial period. The soils are mostly deep brown in colour and stoney with gravelly, sandy loams.

The grapes were hand harvested and destemmed before ambient wild yeast spontaneously started fermentation. The ferment was done in open top picking bins on skins for 10 days, very light cap wetting, minimal extraction. Light pressing into neutral old oak barrels. Three barrels were racked to a Quevri for two weeks in an experimental move to make use of the Quevri's ironizing and revitalizing properties. One barrel was racked to a new, lightly toasted French barrel where it stayed for a month. The remaining barrels spent 13 months resting on heavy lees. We added 20ppm of SO2 post malolactic fermentation in the spring. Bottled Oct 2021.

Another soft and textual Chard from the same vineyard as our previous vintage. A similar continuity of essence flows into this vintage, being unctuous and silky in the mouth, yet poised with more nervy bright energy. A balanced and clean wine, fresh acid and delicate skin tannin are a nice counter weight to the slightly oxidative tones. On the nose it expresses candied apple, apple pie, stewed apricot and subtle burnt lemon notes with just a hint of subtle oak. It holds the stewed green apple flavors on the palate with lemon balm backed by delicate aged tones of caramel. A lingering whisper of gentle sweet French oak tannin marries nicely with the skin tannins on the finish.
Full bodied. Dry. Decant for best results.