2008
Paul Hobbs Chardonnay, Richard Dinner Vineyard
Winemaker's Notes
This small, hillside vineyard has been the source for a truly distinctive chardonnay that we have been producing since our winery's founding in 1991.Full-bodied, fruit- and mineral-driven, it is pale gold and perfumed with lime rind and honeydew.The unctuous palate is satiny and viscous, brimming with succulent flavors of Golden Delicious apple, peach, fig and citrus oil.Hints of vanilla custard and bright, intense minerality intermingle over a lasting finish.Alcohol 14.7%
Vineyard
Owner/Manager
Caroline and Patricia Dinner/Joe Votek
Vineyard
Richard Dinner Vineyard
Clones
Wente
Vineyard Age
Planted in 1994
Site
Hillside, northern exposure; dark brown clay loam and gravel with strata of volcanic tuft
Yield
2.1 – 2.9 tons/acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
September 23
Harvest Brix
24.4°
Growing Season
2008 began with an exceptionally dry spring and early budbreak. Frosts in April significantly lowered cluster counts. Weather stabilized and warmed through summer, with warmer temperatures continuing through harvest. A smaller crop of high quality fruit was able to ripen fully and evenly, developing an excellent balance of sugars and acid. Overall, the 2008 wines are bright and expressive with well-articulated flavors.
Winemaking
§Hand-harvested grapes
§Whole cluster, direct to press, cold
§Barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts; 6 months to completion
§Concurrent spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels
