¡¤Tasting Note :
Chardonnay plantings began in the La Boheme vineyard in 1986. After the Clonal trial research done in the early 1980's, the early ripening Mersault Clonal Selection Espiguette #352 was chosen for all our new Chardonnay plantings. This was 20% of our sparkling wine blend.
The site here is cool so the grapes were harvested later and at higher Brix levels than most sparkling wine producers would attempt. The fruit was whole-cluster pressed and fermented cool in small stainless steel tanks. Dosage was our frozen-pressed Ultima Riesling. This sparkling wine has been made in a Brut style
¡¤Tasting Note : Happily, 2004 has the potential to be an excellent vintage! Though production will be limited because yields were down by 20-50%. Around the state we experienced a phenomenon the French call coulure ~ unsettled weather during flowering, resulting in poor fruit set. This cold Spring weather naturally lowered crop sizes and then early Fall rains challenged picking. Yet, low yieMarch 18, 2006late September produced healthy, balanced, and concentrated fruit. In addition, Elk Cove manages some of the highest elevation sites in the state, which typically results in an extended harvest. Late September's warmth extended harvest into late October, and ensured grapes of true maturity, offering the potential for ripeness and complexity without exaggerated alcohol levels. Fans of more elegant Pinot Noir will be pleased. Winemaker Adam Godlee Campbell reports "we have loose clusters and more concentrated flavors. This is a good year for us." 2004 promises to be a long-lived vintage with beautiful wines!
¡¤Tasting Note :
Happily, 2004 has the potential to be an excellent vintage! Though production will be limited because yields were down by 20-50%. Around the state we experienced a phenomenon the French call coulure ~ unsettled weather during flowering, resulting in poor fruit set. This cold Spring weather naturally lowered crop sizes and then early Fall rains challenged picking. Yet, low yields do not indicate a loss of quality and extended warmth in late September produced healthy, balanced, and concentrated fruit. In addition, Elk Cove manages some of the highest elevation sites in the state, which typically results in an extended harvest. Late September's warmth extended harvest into late October, and ensured grapes of true maturity, offering the potential for ripeness and complexity without exaggerated alcohol levels. Fans of more elegant Pinot Noir will be pleased. Winemaker Adam Godlee Campbell reports "we have loose clusters and more concentrated flavors. This is a good year for us." 2004 promises to be a long-lived vintage with beautiful wines!