2016 The Key

93 Points: Virginie Boone Wine Enthusiast - February 2019

“Briny lemon and tangerine lift a creamy lush personality buoyant in complementary and well-integrated acidity. This wine offers a wealth of succulence and complexity, trafficking in bold flavors and structure.”

We pride ourselves on working with growers who know the land intimately. Vintage after vintage, the partnerships we have with our growers provide us with beautiful fruit. Among its key vineyards, this blend combines the beautifully lush, fruit-forward character of Mirabelle Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, the lemon citrus flavors from the acclaimed Bacigalupi Vineyard, the minerality of Kent Ritchie Vineyard, and the honey, ginger, and mineral notes from Steve MacRostie’s own Wildcat Mountain Vineyard. Prized pieces of Dutton Ranch and Sangiacomo’s Roberts Road Vineyard merry harmoniously into The Key.

We are now in our third year of crafting master blends of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We named these wines The Loch and The Key, both as a nod to our founder Steve MacRostie’sScottish heritage and to his early experiences as a cryptographer deciphering codes in Europe for the U.S. Army. Combining decades of winemaking mastery with our rich history on the Sonoma Coast, The Loch, and The Key are consummate blends, artfully crafted from our best blocks and barrels of wine. “Our goal is simple, but not easy,” says Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen. “We search our cellar for our most beautiful wines of the vintage—stirring wines that sing on the palate. Then we begin blending.” Like a secret code unlocked by our winemakers, The Key embodies everything that we know about making great Chardonnay.

• composition:

  100% Chardonnay

• alcohol: 14.3%
• cases made:

  8 Barrels
  182 Cases

• bottling date: 02/14/2018
• aging:

  Aged 10 months sur lie in French oak, 20% new
  After blending, additional aging in 13% new and 63% once-filled oak.

• fermentation:

  Whole cluster pressed then racked to French oak (13% new & 63% once-filled) for primary and maloactic fermentation