Our Mountery County, California, Pinot Blanc was whole-cluster pressed with no crushing or de-stemming of the grapes. Picking occurred on two consecutive days and the wine was 85 percent cold fermented in stainless steel tanks and 15 percent barrel fermented. We aged the wine for 10 months in French oak barrels to enhance the finish. We've found that leaving the wine on the lees adds the signature hazelnut character typical of Chalone white wines and builds mouthfeel and finish. The result is a wine with intense fruit aromas of peaches, pears and hints of mango and citrus.
