2017 The Drawing Board Estate Chardonnay

The Drawing Board Estate Chardonnay                                                                                                     

Production: 125 cases 12.8% alc.                      AVA: Sta. Rita Hills

Harvested: 8/28/17                                            Farming ~ Organic                                                                                     

The Vintage: 2017 enjoyed another wet winter, followed by intermittent rains during a warm growing season.  The vines produced a short blooming period which led to a smaller-than-average fruit set. A strange tropical system rolled through during the harvest window and we got the fruit off just before a bizarre micro-burst that hit the Santa Barbara area., The fruit came into the winery in healthy clusters, albeit the yields were below average.  The 2017 berries were plump and flavorful producing an expressiveness in the juice that is compelling. The wine is bright and crisp. The climate and rugged topography of our site conveys in the wine all the attributes so special and unique to this place; power and structure balanced with minerality, citrus notes with a hint of salinity, all framed with a strong sense of the nearby ocean.

The site: Organically farmed on the cool climate on the banks of the Santa Ynez River, the vines get a generous blanket of fog each night which allows the grapes to ripen slowly, keeping a nice acidity to balance the wine's floral notes. The vines slip through rocky, silty soil, which gives a foundation of minerality along with layers of floral, honey and stone-fruit all balanced by citrus notes and a hint of the coastal fog. 

Winemaking: The grapes were harvested in the early morning hours, hand sorted and pressed whole cluster to a stainless-steel tank with very low amounts of SO2 where the juice settled for 24 hours. The juice was then racked to barrel where it fermented and rested on the lees for 12 months in mostly neutral French barrels and went through full malo. It was then racked to stainless steel tank for an additional 6 months prior to bottling in February 2019.

Tasting Notes: Coming from multiple blocks planted on Sorrento loam soils with varying degrees of shale, river cobble, silty clay and limestone, the 2017 is a really fine expression of all that the Santa Rita Hills can offer. The 2017 Chardonnay is mouth-wateringly crisp & delicious. It shows strong structure and power balanced with a distinct brightness from citrus notes and a hint of salinity from the nearby ocean, giving it complexity while staying fresh on the palate.

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