Tech Sheet

2006 SV Estate Chardonnay

Wine Overview:

Relying exclusively on fruit from our Dundee Hills property, our Estate Chardonnay showcases the bright, pure fruit of our vineyard site. Barrel fermented and aged in French oak, this is a complex, elegant, food-friendly wine — true Oregon Chardonnay.

Vintage Notes:

2006 was a warm growing season in Oregon and produced nice ripe mature tannic structure and concentration, adding to a recent run of great vintages. The fall brought continued sunshine, leading to a short and focused harvest season. The hallmark of the resulting vintage is powerful structured wines with accessible concentrated ripe fruit.

Harvest Notes:

Our 2006 SV Estate Chardonnay consists solely of high-density (2600 vines/acre) Dijon clone material. The fruit for this bottling was picked on September 29 prior to the rains.

Winemaking Notes:

Upon harvest, the grapes were pressed whole cluster. The juice settles for four days prior to being put to barrel for a slow fermentation. To add character and complexity, both commercial (3079) and native yeasts were used. The wine went through malolactic fermentation into the spring, which was interrupted 2/3 of the way through, thereby retaining a bit of malic acid for crispness. The Chardonnay was then transferred to blending tanks, cold stabilized, and sterile filtered prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Ripe citrus, tropical fruits and hints of caramel define the aromatics. Elegant and expansive on the palate with layers of honeyed fruit and threads of mineral, our 2006 SV Estate Chardonnay reflects the balance and purity of our Chardonnay.

Technical Information: