AROMAS & FLAVORS
The Carol Ann Chardonnay takes its name after Proprietor Bill Foley’s wife. This gorgeous wine has the perfect balance of austerity and elegance, opening with aromas of toasted hazelnut, fresh clover honey, lemon curd and nuance of vanilla bean. The palate is reminiscent of Chablis with lean minerality, refined fruit, and balanced yet moderate oak. Notes of lemon curd and vanilla wafer cookies linger on the finish.
VINEYARDS & WINEMAKING
The grapes for this Chardonnay come from a south facing hillside that climbs from 500 to 1,000 feet above sea level. The vineyard features 59 individual micro-blocks delineated by terroir, soil type, elevation, grade and exposure to the maritime winds off the Pacific Ocean. The grapes were gently whole cluster pressed and transferred to stainless steel tanks after harvest. Regular stirring of the lees imparted additional viscosity and complexity. The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 35% new.
VINTAGE
The 2019 vintage began with a long, cool growing season staging us for a later than normal start date to harvest. We had some intense heat in the late summer which pushed the vines to maturation. The disease pressure was low and quality was good across the board. Harvest wrapped up late October with mother nature delivering us a roller coaster of a season, but with it, a nuance and diversity of fruit expression unique to this vintage.
