2017 Mindego Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay
$48
100% estate grown, single vineyard Chardonnay from our 1.3 acre home vineyard, 8 miles from the Pacific in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Whole-cluster pressed directly into 15% new, 75% neutral French oak and 10% stainless steel, aged sur lie for 11 months. 351 Cases produced.
Acclaim For This Bottle
“Mindego Ridge’s 2017 Chardonnay is bold, luscious and super-expressive. Ample and giving on the palate, the 2017 is especially broad in 2017. This is an especially rich style, but it works well. The 2017 is richer and lusher than is often the case, with fewer of the phenolic and structural elements that have been such signatures in recent years. I imagine much of that is attributable to the heat. Even so, all the elements fall into place nicely. Lemon confit, tangerine peel and tropical notes all build in a Chardonnay of real distinction.” 93 Points. -Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Technical Notes
In The Vineyard
Our 2017 growing season began with near normal rainfall levels for our site ending a five-year drought. Soils were replenished and cover crops grew well providing nutrients to the soil and vigor to the vines. A late August/early September heat spell impacted many California regions in late summer, speeding up harvest schedules and requiring extra vigilance. Despite consecutive days of near triple digit temps, our site proximity to the Pacific mitigated the threat of over ripening with nighttime temperatures consistently cooling down to the 50s.
In The Cellar
To preserve the character of both the vineyard and vintage, the grapes are whole-cluster pressed directly to 15% new, 75% neutral French oak and 10% stainless steel. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeast followed by native ML fermentation, with 11 months on lees, not stirred. This gentle process provides us a stable wine requiring neither fining nor filtration before bottling.
Data
Appellation: Santa Cruz Mountains
Winemaker: Ehren Jordan
Acreage: 1.3 acres Chardonnay, 100% Estate Grown
Exposure & Slope: South facing mountain slopes, 15-20%
Soil Type: 10-18” of silty clay loam over fractured shale subsoil
Marine Influence: 9 miles from the Pacific, adjacent to redwoods
Elevation: 675’ to 725’
Clone Selection: Dijon (17, 76, 96)
Rootstock Selection: 3309
Vine Spacing: 7’ x 4’ (1600 vines/acre)
Harvest: September 24, 2017
Barrel Regimen: French Oak, François Frères, 15% new, 75% neutral; 10% stainless steel
Barrel Aging: 11 months on lees, not stirred
Finished Alcohol: 13.1%
Chemistry @ Harvest:
22.1 Brix
3.51 pH
6.3 g/L titratable acidity
Bottled: August 2018
351 cases produced
