Carlo Rossi Chardonnay

Taste

Medium-high sweetness is balanced by a crisp acidity lending the wine a soft, round mid-palate

Notes of vanilla, browned caramel, and wood shavings

Why Do We Love This?

VINEYARDS

Weather conditions throughout much of California's wine country favour a long season. Daytime temperatures can be warm, but at night they cool down, consistently lowering the overall heat index during key phases of the growth cycle. The pace of ripening in premium wine grapes is slowed down with the warm and cold combination in weather. When it isn't rushed to mature, Chardonnay in particular develops highly concentrated flavours and a greater depth of character on the vine.

HARVEST

A third dry winter and a warm growing season lead to balanced vine growth and open canopies which were ideal for maturing the fruit. An early bud break was followed in turn by early veraison and an early start to harvest. Spring and summer temperatures remained moderate, and the few heat spikes that did occur seemed well-timed to prevent oversizing of the fruit. Winemakers agree that the overall quality of the 2015 harvest was quite good and features vibrant flavours and aromas.

WINEMAKING

The grapes for Carlo Rossi Chardonnay were harvested at optimum ripeness during low night temperatures to preserve the natural fresh fruit flavours. Winemakers selected particularly aromatic yeast strains and employed a cool fermentation process to enhance the natural fragrance and expressive mouthfeel of the wine. Proper storage after fermentation has preserved the brightness and balance of the flavour profile.