Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery Tre Terre Chardonnay 2005

Winemaker's Notes:

We are pleased to release an all-new expression of our Tre Terre Chardonnay from Russian River Valley, complete with an elegant new package featuring a label that reflects Ferrari-Carano's "Vineyard Select" wines. A delicious wine, our 2005 Ferrari-Carano Tre Terre Chardonnay boasts Granny Smith apple, pear, coconut and orange blossom aromas with rich and delicious flavors of citrus, white peaches and vanilla cream. A combination of new and older French oak barrels lends a toasted almond and caramel finish, adding elegance and depth. Vintage Notes The fruit for this wine comes from the Russian River Valley, an area known for producing some of the world's best Chardonnays. Marine fog creeps in at night to cool ripening fruit, while the gravelly soils provide perfect drainage for the vines. A mild late spring and summer ensured a healthy canopy for the grapes, which provided the perfect combination of sunlight and heat penetrating the grape clusters. These conditions allowed the grapes to reach full maturity in both flavor and structure. Harvest was completed mid-October. Winemakers Notes Six different vineyard sites with 11 Chardonnay clones comprise our 2005 Tre Terre Chardonnay. Each lot for this wine is whole cluster pressed, then cold-settled for two days in stainless steel tanks, and within 24 hours is moved directly to barrels, utilizing 19 different French oak cooperages. Aged separately in French oak, the wines complete 50 percent malolactic fermentation and are sur lee aged and stirred every two weeks for 15 months until bottling. The resulting wine has great complexity complemented by good acidity and a rich finish. Appellation: Russian River Valley Blend: 100% Whole Cluster Pressed Chardonnay Cooperage: 100% French oak ( 35% new French oak, select Burgundian cooperages 65% older French oak) Release Day: April 1, 2007 Rhonda's Recipe and Pairing Notes Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts The Tre Terre Chardonnay's significant fruit component complements most mild vinegar salads, mildly spiced vegetarian dishes and rich, creamy fish entrees. It also works well with veal, poultry, pasta and rice.