Flavors of pineapple and pear balance well with the warm, vanilla toast flavors. This is a full bodied, richly charactered Chardonnay which retains elegant balance due to good acid structure, a quality for which Monterey is famous.
The Vineyard Located in Greenfield, Monterey County, this is a small, 50-acre vineyard. Half is planted in Pinot Blanc, half in Chardonnay. Richard Smith grafted the Chardonnay with bud wood from Paraiso Springs Vineyards. Owners, Saul and Anita Levine appropriately named the Arroyo Seco vineyard for the worn river stones found there. The Chardonnay vines produce concentrated flavors due to the complex interaction between this soil, the strong Salinas Valley wind, and the cooling maritime influence of nearby Monterey Bay.
The Wine The fruit was pressed in the vineyard in a mobile bladder press operation of Richard Smiths own design. The juice was barrel fermented in 100% new French oak and underwent complete malolactic fermentation. The final blend is 90% Cobblestone Chardonnay and 10% Chardonnay from the Paraiso Springs Vineyards estate.
