< 2005 Estate Bottled Sauvignon Blanc
COMPLETE TASTING NOTES
OUR SAUVIGNON BLANC CAPTURES THE PERSONALITY of our land and harnesses the quixotic nature of the grape. As with all world-class wines, our focus begins in the vineyard. Situated on premier growing sites—gravelly hillsides and loamy clay enclaves—we tend to eleven clones of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Semillon, all of which receive individual care. Our tireless commitment involves intensive viticultural practices such as balanced pruning, limited yields, restricted vigor, hand-leafing for optimal sunlight exposure, multiple cluster-thinning passes to assure even ripening, and several harvesting passes—targeting ideal clusters with each pass. When presented at the winery, each cluster was inspected for any defect and individual, imperfect berries were discarded. The juice was cold-settled and protected from any oxygen incorporation after being whole-cluster pressed. Although this wine was 100% barrel fermented, with both native and inoculated yeast, 20% of the total saw stainless steel barrels, while 80% was in a combination of Boutes and Sylvain French oak, of which 25% was new. The use of stainless barrels (in lieu of larger tanks) preserves the fresh, bright fruit while still coaxing the creamy, leesy character attainable in small cooperage. Malolactic fermentation was consciously avoided and the wine was bottled without filtration to allow for the purest expression of our fruit. Both rich and elegant, the lush floral aromas of honeysuckle and kaffir lime combine with a vibrant band of gooseberries and tropical fruit. The wine is lengthy, persistent, and an evolutionary leap in winemaking. Because of its exotic personality, try pairing our 2005 Estate Sauvignon Blanc with a Thai-influenced dish.
REVIEW
Wine Spectator awards the 2005 Chalk Hill Estate Bottled Sauvignon Blanc 89 Points
Complete Review
Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine awards the 2005 Chalk Hill Estate Bottled Sauvignon Blanc 93 Points
Complete Review
Wine News awards the 2005 Chalk Hill Estate Bottled Sauvignon Blanc 92 Points
Complete Review
Wine News awards the 2005 Estate Sauvignon Blanc Best of California
Complete Review
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
- Blend:
- 88% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Semillon, 6% Sauvignon Gris
- Vineyard:
- 100% Chalk Hill Estate
- Appellation:
- Chalk Hill
- Ageing:
- Ten months SUR LIE, 25% new French oak
- Fermentation:
- 100% in barrel, 60% native/40% cultured yeast, no malolactic
- Harvested:
- September 7, 2005, Brix 24.6, T.A. 6.8 g/l, pH 3.37
- Bottled:
- September 6-8, 2006, Alcohol 14.1%, T.A. 6.6 g/l, pH 3.46
