This wine should continue improving in the bottle over the next two to five years. I always tell people that Chalone Chardonnay is the white wine for the red wine drinker, which means it complements a wide variety of foods: seafood risotto, herb-rubbed roasted chicken and veal picante are just a few great matches. Truly hedonistic.
Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay is the product and culmination of years of vineyard additions and modifications made to promote homogeneity of ripeness. To ensure the leaf canopy receives even sunlight, the vineyards have been re-trellised with movable wires. We have converted our Heritage Block to cane pruning, which means considerably more work for the vineyard crew, but guarantees that the grapes ripen uniformly. Finally, we have removed clones that were not thriving in our unique soil and climate, and have replanted them with new Dijon clones that are already producing very high quality grapes.
As a result the grapes for this vintage obtained an optimal and consistent ripeness, producing beautiful aromas of pears and peaches. Firm acidity and loads of minerality from our unique limestone soils counterpoint the richness from ten months in French oak. Not racking the wine until bottling afforded it plenty of time to rest on the lees, a process which imparts the hazelnut and brioche aromas that are unique to Chalone Chardonnay. ----Dan Karlsen, Winemaker
