2018 Chardonnay, Martinelli Vineyard, Russian River Valley • St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

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2018

Chardonnay

Martinelli Vineyard

Russian River Valley

Tasting Notes

This Chardonnay shows off fresh aromatics of warm flaky pie crust, white peach, and caramel. Tropical highlights of pineapple stand out with notes of lemon zest, almond macaroon adding complexity to the front end. Smooth and bright, with a fuji apple-like acidity common in fruit grown in this cooler region, this refreshing wine is brilliant and clean on the finish.

Vintage Notes

2018 provided an ideal climate allowing time for the grapes to ripen to their optimum flavor structure. The year presented a fairly mild growing season with few heat spikes, inspiring winemakers to push harvest back a few weeks. This longer time on the vine was great for grapes and the mild temperatures kept the fruit from over-ripening. More than an inch of rain fell in early October in many locations, but there was little impact on the quality of the fruit. 2018 could be remembered as one of the longest and most desirable seasons in years, producing exceptional quality grapes throughout Sonoma County.

Vineyard Notes

The cool, foggy climate of the beautiful Russian River Valley is ideal for Chardonnay grapes. Located in the heart of this famed, grape-growing region is the Martinelli Vineyard. The Martinelli family has grown grapes here since the 1880s and their fruit is recognized for its high quality and rich, expressive flavors.

Winemaker Notes

Picked at dawn, these grapes arrived at the winery while still cold and were carefully placed directly into our small bladder press. The free-run juice was collected and a half was sent to a stainless steel rotary tank for cold soaking before a slow, cool fermentation while the remainder was barrel fermented, creating a creamy mouthfeel. To highlight the wine’s clean, crisp texture and bright aromatics, we prevented malolactic fermentation and aged the wine for five months before bottling.