v.2016 HERE AND HEAVEN
Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills
$45 – 750ml
11 months in Neutral Oak
Vineyard Voice
The 2016 “Here and Heaven” Chardonnay comes from two vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. This wine is made mostly from the Wente #43 clone from the John Sebastiano Vineyard, located on the extreme Eastern edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, where prevailing ocean winds push over rolling hillsides. Clones 96 and 76 come to us from the western side of the AVA, at the Rancho Santa Rita Vineyard. The Rancho Santa Rita grapes give the wine a distinct focused citrus acidity. The wine was allowed to ferment naturally on its own yeast in mostly neutral French oak barrels and aged in the same for 11 months.
On The Palate
Here and Heaven is all about treble, with high, lilting scents of lemon thyme and Thai basil. On the palate, Lemon cream and firm mango are wrapped in fresh baked croissant. The finish lingers with hints of basil, cinnamon, and mace.
Artist Notes
The crisp, lively flavors of Here & Heaven remind me of the treble laden sounds of mandolin and banjo juxtaposed against each other, which is why I chose the Bluegrass inspirations of Chris Thile’s song Here and Heaven to represent the musical direction that I feel the wine expresses.
SILVER
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition January 2019
Winemaker: | Steve Clifton |
Bottled: | August 18, 2017 |
Release: | Fall 2018 |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Cases Produced: | 106 Cases |