2017 County Chardonnay

2017 was a near perfect vintage in Prince Edward County with long, warm days and cool nights with little rain. Our 2017 County Chardonnay is possibly one of the most precise and mineral driven wines we have ever made. At a low alcohol of 12.5%, this is partly due to natural yeast fermentation, customary low yields, and the fruit achieving phenolic ripeness ahead of sugar ripeness. The wine saw a full 18 months in French 500L oak barrels before being bottled. The additional oak ageing is contrary to mainstream winemaking, however, after seeing how well our 2015 Cuvee Des Amis matured through 18 months of oak, we decided to follow suit. We followed maturation of the wine in oak very closely to ensure we would oak just enough and not over oak the wine. This is ironic as people ask if the wine is unoaked!

The 2017 County Chardonnay fruit was picked late September through early October with a mixture of some bright, golden fruit and some slightly green. The fruit was hand sorted as whole clusters just before a long, gentle press cycle. The juice settled 2 days prior to racking and nearly all of the lees was added to barrel. The juice was fermented in tank using natural yeasts from the field (Pied de Cuve) and remained in tank to approximately 10 brix before being transferred to 500L barrels. Barrels filled were 30% new oak, 30% 2nd fill and 40% 3rd and 4th fill. Natural malolactic formation occurred from late Spring 2018 until August 2018. The wine remained on fine lees until March 2019 before being racked and naturally settling in tank. 1 minimal sulphur dose and another racking took place before bottling unfiltered.

2017’s cool, wet Spring was saved by a long, sunny, warm Fall that prompted special treatment for this wine. Rather than our normal 10-12 months, we aged this County Chardonnay for 18 months in a mix of new, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fill French Oak 500L barrels. The resulting golden-hued wine exudes opulent, rich aromas of toasted campfire marshmallow, cream caramel, ultra-ripe peach, apple and apricot that carry to an explosive palate and linger long through the finish. This classic wine will develop and improve in the cellar through 2029 and hold its apex even longer.

VQA Prince Edward County

Sugar content: less than 3g/L