Winemaker's Notes
As a counterpoint to the Helfer 2023 Chardonnay special situation, this is a very positive outcome from an opposite kind of vintage. You may remember the epic Labor Day heat spell that we faced in 2022. Our other RRV blocks in Green Valley to the north were just ripe enough to harvest prior to the heat so they did not have endure that extreme weather just as the grape berries were most fragile. However, the high slopes area is on the very southern edge of the RRV AVA and was not anywhere near ripe (n0r yet fragile) so it was left to hang through it all. This site is just about as coastally influenced as the Platt Vineyard I had worked with for nearly 20 years, so I felt comfortable waiting it out. This paid off and the only consequence of this was a little more generosity on the palate than usual, which is a lovely twist on this compelling site.
Black cherry pie about 20 minutes out of the oven with the crust cooled but the filling still super aromatic. Black tea with iodine notes as well and some perfumes like grapes in bloom. The mouth is generous, with lift provided by necessary balancing structural acidity and tannin. This reflects the somewhat warmer nights in that area during the post-labor day period in that the tannins are slightly more resolved than we might see in the coolest seasons. There is a good, long savory/fruit interaction on the very long finish.
