Chardonnay

If we are making Chardonnay, fruit is ''whole-cluster'' pressed and the runoff is cold-settled so that any heavy solids fall from the juice prior to barrel fermentation. We ferment in a selection of 100% French Oak barrels, choosing a combination of new and once or twice-used wood for balance. Our barrels are hand crafted by the finest coopers: Francois Freres, and Tonnellerie Redmond, with wood sourced from select forests in France. Once the juice is in the barrel, it ferments slowly until the wine is dry and M/L is 100% complete. We age in the barrel on the lees, stirring as needed, for approximately 13-18 months and then bottle the wine unfiltered.

Technical Data
Dutch Bill Creek Chardonnay

• Appellation: Russian River Valley
• Grape Source: 100% Heintz Ranch
• Vineyard Age: Planted in 1984
• Rootstock: AXR1
• Clone: Davis 4
• Location: 9 Miles Inland from Pacific Ocean
• Elevation: 900 Feet
• Fermentation: Indigenous Yeast, Barrel Fermentation, 100% M/L
• Barrels: French Oak 30% new, 70% older
• Aging: 13-18 Months in Barrel
• Production: Approximately 400-500 Cases

"The wine in this bottle
is the result of a beautiful cycle of life."