2017 Wohler Vineyard

91 Points: Wine Spectator

The 2017 growing season started off as a wet one. Record rainfall through April invigorated the vines and bolstered canopies. Moderate-to-warm temperatures followed, allowing the vines to bloom and mature fruit in a balanced and tempered way. We did apply more leafing in our canopy management to counter the invigorating effects of the rain. All of our Chardonnay was picked prior to the devastating wine country fires in early October, so that had no influence. The vineyard is planted to Clone 17. To ensure that the fruit was delivered to the winery cool, and in pristine condition, the grapes were harvested by hand on the night of September 19th, 2017.

Wohler is a beautiful vineyard named for, and located on, Wohler Road in the heart of the Russian River Valley. It is planted on the valley floor, where dense fog frequently settles, keeping the ripening process slow and steady. The site’s fertile soils lead to healthy vines that produce classic Russian River Valley Chardonnay aromas and flavors.

• composition:

  100% Chardonnay

• alcohol: 14.1%
• cases made:

  234

• bottling date: 08/13/2018
• aging:

  We used 20% new oak to give the wine a rich palate

• fermentation:

  Press as whole clusters