2015 Dierberg Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley, USA (750ml)

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:

The 2015 Chardonnay showed flavor development early in ripening permitting harvest dates with plentiful amounts of natural acidity. In fact, the freshness of both flavor and texture warranted an increase in both new oak and maloactic fermentation. In several previous vintages much of the Chardonnay was prevented from undergoing secondary fermentation, but in 2015 we leveraged this tool to bring our acidity into balance on nearly 70% of the wine. Additionally the sweetness from just a touch more new oak further balanced the firm backbone the acidity supplied.