2004 Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay

Purchase 2004 Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay

VINTAGE
Things got off to a fast start in 2004 with early budbreak, a very warm spring, and a very warm start to summer. We were running twenty to thirty days ahead of average vine development schedule in early July; this, compounded with fewer and smaller Chardonnay clusters, created anticipation for the earliest vintage on record. The weather continued to be warm, resulting in an expected early vintage. We began picking the French clones of Chardonnay the last week in August – unprecedented in my twenty two years at J. Lohr – and began harvest of “Clone 5” Chardonnay from the Arroyo Vista Vineyard on September 6th. Despite this record early vintage, the Chardonnay fruit tasted outstanding with 25.9° Brix, a very low pH of 3.3 and a very bracing acidity of 9.4 grams per liter.

VINEYARDS
The Arroyo Vista Vineyard lies in the heart of the windswept and cool Arroyo Seco AVA of Monterey County. Loamy sand and gravelly loam soils of the Elder series are intermixed and underlain by “Greenfield potatoes” – stones that resemble potatoes in size and appearance and which absorb heat during the day and radiate their heat after sunset. This underlayment of stone effectively limits root growth to the top three to five feet of soil, harmoniously balancing the fruit and shoot growth of our richly flavored Clone 5 Chardonnay on 5BB rootstock.

TECHNICAL DATA
Origin: Arroyo Vista Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Harvest Dates: September 6 and 7, 2004
Process: Night harvested, vineyard pressed (to 0.6 bars) and settled.
Harvest Chemistries: 25.9° Brix average, pH=3.30, Total Acidity 9.40 g/Liter
Vinification;
Yeast: Uninoculated (wild yeast), Montrachet and M2
Fermentation: In barrel for an average of 22 days
Malolactic: Inoculated each barrel with MCW strain of malolactic bacteria on
November 5th 2004. Completed malolactic fermentation in
early January 2005.
Stirring: Weekly stirring of each barrel starting November 12, 2004 until April 2005
(during malolactic fermentation and three months post).
Post-Stirring: Monthly topping up of barrels and free sulfur dioxide and oxygen
monitoring.
Maturation: Aged in barrel "sur lie" in 63% new Francois Frères French oak

WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS
The 2004 J. Lohr Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay is a youthful yellow in color, with aromas of white flowers, lime custard, citrus and baked pear. The Burgundian winemaking techniques including alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrel with lees stirring and extended aging contribute a complex bouquet of honey and vanilla and amplify an already intensely viscous wine. This is a substantial wine with a silky texture on the palate with layers of complexity and richness making it well-suited to roasted chicken or pork.
Jeff Meier, vice president of winemaking

Purchase 2004 Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay

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