Tritone Cuvée Chardonnay
2021 Tritone Cuvée Chardonnay
The “Tritone” is about creating flavorful harmonies that bring together distinct fruit from three counties and integrating them into a unique and magnificent whole. It’s where our winemaking team of Greg La Follette and Evan Damiano work their magic. Mendocino provides 48% with fruit coming from Manchester Ridge at elevation on the coast and Haiku, inland in the Sanel Valley. Sonoma provides 33% with fruit hailing from Black Knight and the venerable Lorenzo Vineyards in Russian River Valley. Last to the blend is Santa Barbara at 19% with fruit from “L” block, the oldest Chardonnay at Bien Nacido Vineyard planted in 1972.
$45
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The 2021 vintage was quite disparate between the North Bay counties and the Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County. Bien Nacido experienced classic Central Coast moisture in the form of morning fogs that caused water to condense on the grapes, allowing Botrytis to take hold in many of the tightly-packed Chardonnay clusters, forcing an extra level of fruit-sorting during picking and at the winery. Manchester Ridge, at 2,200 ft and above the fog line of the Mendocino coast, experienced very low disease pressure. Black Knight had a relatively early flowering, with cold weather creating very open cluster architecture and ideal conditions for harvest. Haiku and Lorenzo were, as always, the reliable performers we know and love!
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Golden-straw hues foretell aromas of vanilla-lemon custard, cantaloupe and honeydew. Fruit notes continue with sweet lime, pear and quince framed with just a touch of oak spice. The palate follows the nose, with ripe, almost tropical fruit and an unctuous mouthfeel that carries from start to an extra long finish with great ending viscosity.
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48% Mendocino, 33% Sonoma and 19% Santa Barbara, 14.7% Alcohol by Volume, 225 cases produced, <.01 residual sugar, 3.38 pH, 6.6 g/L TA, winemaker is Greg La Follette.