J.Lohr Vineyards & Wines: Wines

2006 October Night Vineyard Chardonnay

VINTAGE

Coming on the heels of a large 2005 vintage, 2006 saw a return to a winter of average rainfall (which is about 11 inches in Greenfield), a mild spring, and a more typical Chardonnay crop. I also made a conscious decision based on a tasting early in 2006 to let our Dijon and Musqué Chardonnay clones ripen more fully and create grapes of greater volume and texture. Both the weather and cluster morphology in 2006 cooperated to produce aromatically intense and richly-flavored clone 809 Chardonnay from J. Lohr’s October Night Vineyard.

VINEYARDS

The October Night Vineyard lies in the Arroyo Seco AVA of Monterey County, but is west and south of our original 1972 plantings along Cypress Avenue – moving towards the mouth of the Arroyo Seco--providing the vines a slightly more wind protected environment in which to grow. The vineyard is comprised largely of Dijon Clone 809 Chardonnay – known in some circles as the Musqué Clone – and produces a very distinctive and attractive, powerful floral character. The soil is laden throughout its loamy profile with “Greenfield potatoes,” stones that resemble potatoes in size and appearance and which absorb heat during the day and radiate their heat after sunset, enhancing floral character and richness.

Technical Data

Origin: October Night Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Harvest Dates: October 1^st, 2006
Process: Night harvested, vineyard pressed (to 0.6 bars) and settled.
Harvest Chemistries: 24.1° Brix average, pH=3.52, Total Acidity 6.7g/Liter

Vinification;
	Yeast: M2
	Fermentation: In barrel for an average of 11 days
	Malo-Lactic: Inoculated each barrel with MCW strain of malolactic bacteria on November 13^th 2006. Completed malolactic fermentation in December 14^th, 2006.
	Stirring: Weekly stirring of each barrel starting November 13^th, 2006 until January 2007 (during malolactic fermentation and one month post)
	Post-Stirring: Monthly topping up of barrels and free sulfur dioxide and oxygen monitoring monitoring.
	Maturation: Aged in barrel "sur lie" in 20% new Francois Frères French “Troncais” oak

Winemaker's Comments

The 2006 J. Lohr October Night Vineyard Chardonnay is an attractive pale yellow in color, with floral aromas of white flowers, tangerine, lemon curd and butterscotch. The winemaking technique to enhance the floral nature of this Chardonnay included barrel fermentation in largely one-year-old French oak barrels in the coldest corner of our barrel room, followed by malolactic fermentation with lees stirring, all contributing to a wonderfully complex floral bouquet that is echoed on the palate with textural richness. Given its unique characters, the October Night Chardonnay would be an ideal accompaniment for an asian pear salad with scallops or delicately-flavored white fish entrees.

Jeff Meier, winemaker

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