2020 J. Lohr October Night Chardonnay
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Wine Enthusiast, August 2022
Pale straw yellow in color with exotic floral aromas of gardenia, honeysuckle, daffodil, ripe apple, and baking spices. This unique Chardonnay blend provides balanced and complex flavors of ripe orange, white nectarine, lemon cream, and a rich midpalate. The long finish offers a hint of vanilla and toasted oak.
— Kristen Barnhisel, winemaker, white wine
Wine Details
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Composition Blend
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100%
Chardonnay
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Origin
Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, CA
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Cellaring
Best enjoyed now through 2025.
5 Years -
Food Pairings
A perfect pairing with crab cakes with a creamy orange reduction sauce, toasted hazelnut halibut, or seared scallops.
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Vinification
Fermentation: Inoculated with the SB3 strain of malolactic bacteria
Barrel Type: French oak - 36.3% new wood
The Musqué clone, harvested in a single October night, is the backbone of this aromatic, distinctive Monterey Chardonnay wine.
Vineyards
The vineyards for October Night Chardonnay lie in J. Lohr’s Block 9 plantings in the Arroyo Seco AVA of Monterey County. This site, near the mouth of the Arroyo Seco River, provides the vines a slightly more wind protected environment. Comprised largely of Dijon Clone 809 Chardonnay - known in some circles as the Musqué Clone - these vines produce a very distinctive and attractive floral character. The soil is laden throughout its loamy profile with cobblestones that absorb heat during the day and radiate their heat after sunset, enhancing the wine’s floral aspects and richness.
Vintage
2020 was the third vintage in a row of cool spring and summer seasons. September fortunately began with some warmer weather to fully ripen the Chardonnay and, along with our typical winds, extended the growing season by three weeks. Each year, we work to fine-tune our farming and irrigation decisions during the growing season to optimize the balance and concentration of the fruit. Our 2020 harvest of Clone 809 Chardonnay (the backbone of October Night Chardonnay) was the latest on record, occurring on November 2nd at 25.5° Brix.
