The 2019 vintage of The Key offers heady perfumed aromas of fresh gardenia, lime zest, ripe pear, and honeycomb. On the palate, it is both sumptuous and sophisticated, with a generous layered complexity that allows the pure floral and fruit flavors to achieve a radiant depth. Though already a crowd-pleaser, this wine is built to last and will reward cellaring.
The grapes went directly to press as whole clusters where they were gently pressed in order to maximize quality. After settling, the juice was racked into French oak barrels for fermentation, where it completed secondary malolactic fermentation. After 10 months of aging in 20% new French oak, the wine was blended and put into 33% new and 50% once-filled oak. To further increase richness and body, the lees were occasionally stirred. Deemed aged to perfection, it was bottled on February 24, 2021.
Here at MacRostie, we pride ourselves on working with growers who know the land intimately. Among its key vineyards, this blend combines fruit from five of our most prized sources: Olivet Lane, Bacigalupi Frost Ranch, Dale Ricci Vineyard, and the Dutton’s Braughton and Shop vineyards. Some of these you may know from our single-vineyard Chardonnay bottlings. Each component is carefully selected by our winemaking team to create the harmonious symphony that is The Key.
We are now in our sixth year of crafting master blends of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, The Loch and The Key, named as a nod to our founder Steve MacRostie’s Scottish 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. Like a secret code unlocked by our winemakers, The Key embodies everything we know about making great Chardonnay.