2009 Mossback Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Tasting Notes:
The wine style is based on the French Chablis model in that the wine is tank fermented to retain acidity which develops a high fruit, leaner style wine that relies on the quality of the fruit character. This lightly oaked Chardonnay has aromas of fresh sliced green apples, honeysuckle, caramel and crème Brule, and flavors of green apples, pear and honeydew melon with hints of toasty oak and butterscotch. The full intense flavors and bright, crisp, natural acidity make this a perfect pairing with fruit and cheese as an appetizer or with grilled lemon chicken for an entrée.

Vineyard Notes:
2009 was an ideal vintage for chardonnay as long as you picked before the Japanese typhoon that hit October 13th. We pick Dutton on October 6 and Balletto on October 10 at perfect ripeness.

Winemaker Notes:
Our Mossback chardonnay is grown in the heart of the Russian River Valley appellation at Dutton’s Mill Station and Balletto’s Occidental Ranch. Deciding when to pick is the most critical decision to make in this cool region. Patience is the key because some years the fruit does not fully mature until November and we have to constantly worry about rain and frost. When Mother Nature cooperates we get some of the most intensely flavored wine around. We cold ferment 80% of this wine to preserve and enhance the crisp fruity character and barrel ferment the remainder to add subtle oak and vanilla richness. We also blend in a small amount of our Dunnigan Hills chardonnay from the Giguiere Family’s two vineyards to increase complexity and add tropical notes.

Production:
1,093 cases