Dovecote's Estate Chardonnay was planted in 1990 on its own roots to the coveted Wente clone. Alisos Canyon's cool ocean influence extends ripening and preserves acidity for a clean, crisp, expression of this full bodied varietal. To preserve it's natural freshness and energy, the wine is made using 100% stainless steel with no oak and or malolactic fermentation.
This Chardonnay from our Estate Thompson Vineyard yields beautiful notes of lemon zest, asian pears, and fresh cut pineapple. It has a round supple mouthfeel and finishes clean with bright acidity that can elevate a wide variety of cuisine.
VINEYARD NOTES
Established in 1990, Thompson Vineyard lies just inland from California’s windswept Central Coast on the eastern side of the cool San Antonio Creek Valley in Northern Santa Barbara County. It rests within the Alisos Canyon corridor where transverse mountain ranges flood the area with daily fog and ocean air, extending chilly mornings and afternoons, softening midday heat, and yielding cold and often icy nights.
Planted to primarily Rhone varietals, here the vines sit on their own roots in alluvial sand over a deep foundation of white limestone that once comprised the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Thompson Vineyard naturally produces extremely small, slow, and evenly-ripening yields that often stretch harvests well into late November, resulting in deeply complex cool-climate wines that evolve gracefully with age.
WINEMAKING NOTES
Grapes were harvested by hand at night in late September, 2020 The fruit was then pressed whole cluster, cold-settled, and racked directly to stainless tanks for fermentation. No oak was used, and no malolactic fermentation occurred. It is ready to enjoy now and over the coming 2-5 years.
- Vintage
- 2020
- Varietal
- 100% Chardonnay
- Vineyard
- Thompson Vineyard
- Vine Age
- 30 Years
- Clone
- Wente
- Rootstock
- Own
- Soil
- Shaley Loam
- Farming
- Sustainable
- Appellation
- Alisos Canyon
- Climate
- Cool I/II
- Brix
- 22.5
- Aging
- 100% Stainless Steel
- pH
- 3.36
- ABV
- 13.7%
- Cases
- 75