The 2009 ‘Salus’ Chardonnay exudes a resonant honeyed-amber color and a nose laden with hibiscus, candied citrus and lemon rinds, warm brioche and ripe pears followed by a rich palate of honey-lemon-marinated, baked Golden Delicious apples exoticfied by hints of mango, fresh pineapple and flecks of flint...
Tasting Notes by Winemaker Fredrik Johansson:
The 2009 Chardonnay season might be remembered as a mellow, easy, almost perfect year that avoided any extremity. A relatively mild, slightly dry winter was followed by heavier late winter/early spring rains than has been normal recently, allowing us to minimize irrigation and balance vine stress. Small heat waves and rainstorms in May and June caused some shatter, naturally limiting yields and allowing the vines to focus their ripening energy on the clusters that remained.
The absence of the usual late-August heat wave allowed the grapes to continue ripening evenly without undue pressure or stress, developing ripe and mature flavors without excessive sugar accumulation right on through the brilliant September harvest. The grapes were picked in the cool early mornings to maintain their freshness, natural acidity and delicate flavors. We utilize traditional Burgundian winemaking techniques, while respecting the unique quality of the fruit our vineyard delivers.
The grapes are hand sorted, whole cluster pressed and then barrel-fermented. Though we generally restrict it to preserve acidity and crispness, this year we again allowed a few lots to go through malo-lactic fermentation for some additional roundness and increased complexity. Finally, we aged this wine on its lees for eleven months with regular ‘batonnage’ during the first seven months.
