Fall Release Charles Heintz Vineyard Isobel Chardonnay
2012
Winemaker’s Notes
Our 2012 Isobel Chardonnay is one of the most Burgundian (I don’t often use the ‘B’ word) wines we have ever produced. Berry size in the vineyard was larger than usual, so there are more grassy/savory notes this year versus the overt honeyed richness of previous vintages. In that regard the wine is most similar to its immediate predecessor, the 2011, but for different reasons – in 2011 these characters came from the record cool season, not berry size. We have also decided to re-designate this wine to Sonoma Coast to better reflect the vineyard’s coastal site and direct line to the large mass of fog that cascades over Harrison Grade each evening. With time in the glass you will find typical Isobel characters of hazelnuts and honeyed lemons develop alongside a lovely waxy, oily texture. A beautifully complex truffle character also makes an appearance as you finish the last glass of the bottle, hinting at the type of maturity characters this wine will achieve with aging.
Obvious cool climate complexity – cut grass, chamomile, grapefruit, lemongrass and sea spray. Herbal elements typical of Heintz Vineyard take hold – sage, hay, green olive. Mineral dominated palate entry, fresh and saline, great vitality and drive. Peach, nectarine and tangerine, some sweet spearmint notes. Then broad and generous, extremely long and layered with a pleasing bitterness to the finish. Great wine that should be drunk between 2015 and 2020.
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Vineyard
Harvest Date
October 8th and 19th
Appellation
Sonoma Coast
Clones
#4
Age of Vines at Harvest
30 years
Barrel Aging
Barrel fermented with complete malolactic fermentation and 13 months aging in 39% new French oak hogsheads followed by four months settling in tank
Production
980 cases of 750mL
20 cases of 1.5L
8 bottles of 3L
