Russian River Valley Chardonnay(2005)

PHILOSOPHY Our "Russian River Valley" Chardonnay is a crisp, fruit driven wine that remains highly expressive of its origins and terroir, yet often bears more in common with a top Mâcon wine from Burgundy than its typical California sibling. A careful mix of barrel and stainless steel fermentation allows us to capture the essence of the Chardonnay grape and the character of our rightfully famous appellation. While select lots from our 42-acre Quail Hill Vineyard estate form the core of this bottling, we also work closely with a few neighboring growers who share our commitment to read more...quality. 2005 GROWING SEASON 2005 was one of the coolest and latest seasons in recent memory, which meant an excellent vintage for the more elegant, aciddriven style that Lynmar is known for. The skill of our vineyard team, combined with a bit of luck, helped us to avoid losses during early rains that decimated a number of neighboring vineyards during flowering. The rest of the season was uneventful, with grapes ripening gradually and evenly without the late season heat spikes that have challenged North Coast winemakers the last several vintages. Night or early morning harvesting, with multiple passes where needed, helped us bring in fruit of exceptional quality with uncommonly high natural acidity, ripe skins, and great flavor maturity. THE WINEMAKING Winemaking for our RRV Chardonnay lots is focused on capturing bright, high-tone fruit flavors while retaining crisp acidity and balance. All fruit was hand-harvested at night or early morning, quickly transported to the winery, and then gently whole-cluster pressed. Juice was only lightly settled before transfer to stainless steel tanks (60%) and 60-gallon French oak barrels. Primary fermentations with mostly native yeasts lasted 6 to 12 weeks, with subsequent Malolactic fermentations ("ML") lasting anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months. This vintage is the first 100% ML rendition in a few years, yet it retains excellent acidity. Getting to know our vineyards better has resulted in our most complex RRV blend yet. Key Old Wente clone sources anchor the blend with structure and richness, while Rued clone from Quail Hill Vineyard provides aromatics and high-tone flavors. Old Wente vineyard sources included Lazy W (Westside Road), Dutton Mill Station (Green Valley), Pelligrini (Santa Rosa Plain) and Sweeney (RRV Expansion AVA). Old vine Clone 4 vineyards were McIlroy (Westside Road) and CalPlans (Eastside Road). Some Dijon Clone 76 came from Amber Ridge (Santa Rosa Plain). TASTING NOTES While there is a thread of continuity from this 2005 back through recent vintages, there is also a clear sense of evolution. Each of the contributing vineyards has added a layer, and more than ever the sum is truly greater than the parts. Aromas are fresh and vibrant-- fragrant Bartlett pear and spicy applesauce go head to head with distinct notes of lemon custard and ripe mango. There is also a noticeable minerality which is much more upfront this vintage than in the past. Nuances of yeasty fresh rising dough are in the background, which we know will turn wonderfully "toasty" with a little more bottle age. Where this vintage really shines, though, is on the palate. The entry is deceptively soft with no hard edges. A remarkable flavor density is then apparent, seamlessly flowing into a rich mid-palate and bracing acidity. While this wine will drink great upon release, it will get even better over the next 12-18 months. We estimate excellent cellaring potential through at least 2009. WINE INFORMATION: Varietal Composition 100% Chardonnay Cooperage 9 months in 40% French Oak (25% new) Cases Produced 4,520 (9L)cases Bottling Date July 2006 T.A. 0.65 g/100 ml pH 3.49 Alcohol 14.2% Winemaker Hugh Chappelle Consulting Winemaker Paul Hobbs    (hide)