2002 Teatown Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay

This is our third and final vintage of single vineyard Chardonnay from Rust Ridge Vineyards located in Chiles Valley in eastern Napa. Although Chiles Valley is very warm during the day, the temperature drops significantly at night allowing for hang time on a par with mountain Chardonnay vineyards. Rust Ridge Vineyard was planted approximately 30+ years ago with at least two different Chardonnay clones. At this vine age ,this is a naturally low yielding vineyard with yields further reduced by vines that are severely ‘virused.’

Because of the poor physical condition of this vineyard, harvest was in late October. This is a very difficult vineyard to work with but the result is a truly remarkable wine. The wine this vineyard produces takes a long time to come around in the bottle and once it does come around it will hold well in the bottle for a number of years. The 2002 is just starting to drink beautifully now and will continue to do so for the next 2 - 3+ years. The 2000 and 2001 vintages are continuing to drink beautifully.

Although the vines are severely strained, the fruit was in excellent condition with excellent physiological maturity. The fruit was crushed, settled and transferred to 50% new and 50% one year medium toast oak barrels. The wine was barrel fermented, stirred regularly and went through complete malo-lactic fermentation. The wine was left on its lees until bottling. The wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined in mid-July of 2003. 600 were cases produced.

The 2002 Chardonnay to some great degree mirrors the 2000 and 2001 and shows the consistency of fruit produced by this vineyard. Fairly deep yellow in color. Honeyed - melon with some oak. Deep full-bodied honey suckle flavors with hints of tropical fruits backed up by toasty oak. This wine is pervaded by ripe, sweet, full throttle fruit that is compounded by low yields. Long ripe slightly oaky finish.

All Teatown Cellars Chardonnay is bottled with “Grade ‘A’ Twin-Top Composite Corks” (who’s ready for Stellvins?) with very good results. I am glad to be able to reiterate that “corked” bottles are still a very rare event, still virtually non-existent. Enjoy.

If you would like to know about retailers in your area that carry Teatown Cellars Wines, need more information about us, or are interested in ordering our wine, please contact us.

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