2007 was in many ways an ideal year for Winemakers. We enjoyed a long growing season with moderate temperatures and low yields in the vineyards. This provided us with a small crop of grapes with highly concentrated fruit flavors and well balanced acidity.
Our 2007 Monterey Chardonnay is assembled from specially selected vineyards primarily in the Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands appellations of the Salinas Valley. These two areas contribute certain aroma and flavor profiles that when blended, produce an extraordinary wine. Arroyo Seco with its gravelly soils is known for its bright apple and pear flavors with perceptible mineral notes and rich texture. The Santa Lucia Highlands are cooler with deep, well-drained soils producing wines with intense citrus and tropical fruit characters and a crisp, focused structure.
At Bernardus we harvest all our grapes by hand. Once at the winery, we press our Chardonnay grapes very gently in order to obtain only the highest quality juice. 90% is then fermented in the finest French oak barrels, 33% of which are new, and 80% allowed to undergo a malo-lactic fermentation for richness and complexity. In addition, we hand stir every barrel every two weeks to enhance texture and build extra structure. The remaining 10% is fermented in stainless steel tanks to add a note of crisp fruit flavors to the overall blend.
This superb wine is the perfect expression of Monterey Chardonnay. Aromas are expressive of apple and pear with notes of crème brûlée.
The palette is very rich with many layers of ripe tropical and citrus fruit flavors accented with toasty oak nuances which linger on a long, creamy finish.
Vineyards:
Arroyo Seco: Griva Vineyard, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Ventana, Mission Ranch.
Santa Lucia Highlands: Sleepy Hollow, Rosella’s Vineyard, Paraiso.
Monterey: Olson Ranch.
Harvest Dates: September 24th – November 6th
Cooperage: 100% French Oak.
Coopers: Dargaud & Jaegle, Sirugue, François Frères and Cadus.
Retail price: $22.00
Release Date: April 1, 2009
Case Production: 21,086 cases / 750 mls. & 1069 cases/375 mls.