2006 J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay

The vintage of 2006 will be remembered as one of great calm. Ample winter rainfall, followed by a cool spring and summer returned us to a rather late-ripening vintage and honestly, one that is preferred by most winemakers. Sugar levels and flavors in the Chardonnay fruit gradually rose together through the month of September, with mild temperatures dominating the Arroyo Seco appellation. We made a conscious decision to pick all of our Chardonnay fruit at riper levels in 2006, especially the French clones 76, 95 and 96 to further enrich the flavor of Riverstone Chardonnay. In this cool vintage, that meant waiting until September 27th for the first pick of our French clone Chardonnay in Block 2 at 24.7° Brix and concluding harvest on November 5th with the final pick of California-clone Chardonnay at 27.1° Brix. The result of the late and long ripening 2006 season was richly textured, highly flavored Riverstone Chardonnay with excellent acidity and balance.

Chardonnay

The 2006 vintage marks the twentieth year of production of our Riverstone Chardonnay from our vineyards in the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County. Each year, starting in 1995, we have experimented with and have incorporated higher percentages of traditional Burgundian production techniques into Riverstone, until the desired complexity and end-results were achieved (reaching 60% in 2000). The result is a complex and nuanced Chardonnay with an abundance of Arroyo Seco fruit, with subtle barrel fermentation and malolactic character. The vines are grown primarily on Elder loam soils underlain by "riverstones" deposited over thousands of years from the Arroyo Seco river, allowing a four-foot rooting zone that keeps the vines’ vegetative growth and fruit in balance. Additionally, the cool climate and winds of the Salinas Valley extend the growing season and retain the natural grape acids and intense varietal character of the Chardonnay.

Origin: Riverstone, Arroyo Seco AVA
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Harvest Dates: September 27th to November 5th, 2006
Brix at Harvest: 24.75° average
Total Acidity: 0.81 g/100 ml
pH at Bottling: 3.38
Alcohol: 13.97% by volume
Vinification: 100% barrel fermented in combination of French and American oak at 55 to 65°F Malolactic fermentation in barrel of 60% of Chardonnay
Maturation: 9 months in combined French and American oak barrels ranging from new to third fill.

Winemaker's Comments

The 2006 J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay has a youthful, brassy yellow color with moderate depth. The aromas are of nectarine, peach pie and apple--combined with the perfumed vanilla and toasted oak bouquet from barrel and malolactic fermentation and sur lie aging--creating an elegant Chardonnay from Monterey’s Arroyo Seco AVA. The flavors are very clean, with peach, nectarine and citrus with subtle butter and vanilla toastiness, producing layers of complexity with an excellent balance of fresh fruit acidity and palate weight. This wine is ideal for pairing with oven-roasted chicken, Dungeness crab or cream-sauced pasta dishes.

Jeff Meier, winemaker