2005 Laraine Chardonnay

Winemaker's Notes

For the third year in a row, the 2005 Chardonnay was a wine of stature that allowed us to build on its strength by aging it on its fermentation lees well beyond one year. Most of California's barrel-fermented Chardonnay (99.99%) are bottled after 6 to 10 months on their lees, so the wineries can reuse their barrels for the following harvest. Following a model used in Burgundy, when a wine exhibits a unique balance between fruit and acidity, leaving the wine on its lees for an extended period of time will greatly enhance the mouthfeel by adding a creamy rich texture which improves the wine's accompaniment to food.

The 2005 Laraine Chardonnay is a rich wine with the aromas of golden delicious apples, tropical fruit and toasty oak. In the mouth, flavors of Bartlett pears, fresh apples and citrus fruit are enveloped by sweet French oak. A lovely wine in its youth, enjoy this wine as an aperitif, with salads or poultry.