2017 Extended Age Chardonnay, Lagomarsino Vineyard • St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

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2017

Chardonnay

Lagomarsino Vineyard

Russian River Valley

Tasting Notes

This refined and luscious Chardonnay exudes intense aromatics of vanilla, lemon meringue, gooseberry, and lavender. The rich and silky texture leads to distinct flavors of citrus and cream. The extended time in barrel has imparted this wine with a rounder mouthfeel and soft buttery acidity.

Vintage Notes

The 2017 growing season started out wet with record-breaking rainfall. The mild spring led to a timely bud break and good fruit set, followed by ideal conditions of cool mornings and warm, sunny days throughout the summer months. A few days of intense heat at the beginning of September sped up ripening throughout the region. Well-timed picks meant the majority of the fruit was in by the first week of October. Beautiful color, well-defined aromatics, and outstanding flavor define this vintage.

Vineyard Notes

The fruit for this luscious Chardonnay is sourced from our Certified Sustainable, Lagomarsino Estate Vineyard in Russian River Valley. This scenic vineyard, just south of the town of Healdsburg, is blanketed with rolling foothills and sloping valleys providing manageable conditions for intense fruit both below and above the fog line. The long growing season of the Russian River Valley allows full ripeness and a distinct floral driven acidity and tannin.

Winemaker Notes

The fruit is picked at daybreak and delivered to the winery while still cold to preserve the wine’s delicate flavors, aromas, and acidity. Grapes are pressed whole cluster, then fermented sur lie in a temperature-controlled room maintained at 55 degrees to ensure a slow fermentation. For this Extended Age wine, select barrels were set aside, chosen for their taste profile and acidity level, and given an extended period of aging and battonage (stirring) over a number of months to impart a rounder, more complex mouthfeel.