This vintage shows why we love Heintz’s older Chardonnay vines and their ability to produce a wine that is complex and concentrated while still being elegant. Though the flavors are intense, offering rich layers of fresh pear, baking spice, toasted bread and crème brûlée, this wine is deceptively light on its feet. While it offers abundant near-term enjoyment, it is also full of cellaring promise.
Though the beginning of the growing season was cold and wet, we had a successful bloom and set. Because the cool weather continued into summer, we applied extensive canopy management and vineyard floor cultivation, with little-to-no irrigation. After heat spikes in late August and early September, the end of the season was nice and temperate, and we were able to harvest ripe, high-quality fruit before any rain events. Despite its challenges, 2010 proved excellent for cool-climate winegrowing, delivering elegant wines with depth of flavor and superb balance at relatively low Brix.
HARVEST INFORMATION
Harvest Dates: October 16 – October 20, 2010
Average Sugar at Harvest: 24.1° Brix
1 Vineyard Harvested
VARIETAL CONTENT
100% Chardonnay
COOPERAGE
100% Barrel Fermentation
100% French Oak
35% New Oak, 65% Second Vintage
Barrel Aging: 10 Months
TECHNICAL DATA
75% Malolactic
Alcohol: 13.6%
0.52 g/100 ml titratable acidity
pH: 3.69
Bottled: July 2011
Release Date: March 2012