Scribe Winery Along The Palms Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley 2021

The Chardonnay grapes come from the Sonoma Valley AVA, a subregion with the Sonoma County. Sonoma Valley lies between the Mayacamas Mountains to the east and Sonoma Mountains to the west. The climate is influenced by its sheltered position between the hills, which results in a dry, warm and sunny mesoclimate, gently moderated by its proximity to San Pablo Bay to the south. The estate vines are Robert Young clones which have been grafted onto rootstock 101-14. The vines are planted in the deep, fertile Huichica loam soils of the estate. The vines are VSP trained on a bilateral spur pruned cordon and are sustainably farmed. Generally, leaf coverage is left on the fruiting zone of the vine to minimise any potential sun burn and keep the fruit fresh and with balanced acidity resulting in vibrant wines full of natural freshness. The vines are hand-harvested in the cool of the night.

The bunches were whole cluster pressed, and following cold settling for a period of 24 hours, the juice was racked off its gross lees. A long, cool fermentation took place with selected yeasts. The wine was aged on its fine lees, without stirring, imparting gentle texture. Maturation took place in stainless steel tanks to retain the purity of fruit and the nuances of the terroir for four to six months and malolactic conversion was prevented to retain the crisp style.