< 2001 Estate Bottled Sauvignon Blanc
COMPLETE TASTING NOTES
In 2001 the Chalk Hill Estate delivered yet another in a series of splendid Sauvignons. Blended primarily from newer plantings, the wine is a showcase for various clones of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Semillon, all carefully selected and reaching full maturity on the estate. Our Oak Hill vineyard block is planted to both Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. The latter, brilliantly ripened with bronze skins aglow in 2001, contributes exotic stone fruit and melon characters to our blend. The array of Sauvignon Blanc clones in Oak Hill centers on UCD 01, the current standard bearer of the industry, with generous helpings of two newer clones. The Loire-et-Cher clone CTPS 378 provides high-toned varietal character, while UCD 06, from an Italian source, contributes textural depth. Finally, the Semillon in our Wright Creek Vineyard has both UCD 05 and CTPS 315, excellent for fleshing out the structure of our final blends.
The wine style features Chalk Hill's trademark melding of New World and Old World traditions. The 2001 vintage offered marvelously ripe fruit, the result of a warm spring, a cool summer and excellent, dry weather through the harvest. Fermentation proceeded in both oak and steel. Most of the juice fermented in barrel with indigenous yeast, to enhance complexity, while the balance fermented in tank with cultured yeast to maximize varietal character. All of the new wine was then oak-aged on the lees with biweekly stirring and complete malolactic fermentation with native bacteria. Winemaker Bill Knuttel assembled the blend on a clone-by-clone and barrel-by-barrel basis. Fining, filtration and other manipulation were minimized as the components harmonized extremely well in this textbook vintage. Ten months in barrel and another eight months in bottle have revealed a complex, mouth-filling Sauvignon Blanc with an expansive finish. As with all the whites at Chalk Hill, this 2001 Sauvignon Blanc will improve with cellaring, and its depth and richness allow pairings with an immense range of cuisine.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
- Blend:
- 88% Sauvignon Blanc, 8% Semillon, 4% Sauvignon Gris
- Vineyard:
- Estate
- Appellation:
- Chalk Hill
- Ageing:
- Ten months sur lies, 26% new oak
- Fermentation:
- 73% in barrel, 73% native/ 27% cultured yeast, 100% natural malolactic
- Harvested:
- September 5-15, 2001, Brix: 24.3 T.A.: 5.5 g/l pH: 3.62
- Bottled:
- August 28-30, 2002 T.A.: 5.6 g/l pH: 3.49
