World renowned. Washington grown.
2003 Grand Estates Chardonnay
"Best Buy" - Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
“This is a complex wine with lingering aromas and flavors of cantaloupe, green apple and caramelized sugar. Hints of nutmeg and clove play out on the lush, refined finish.” -Ray Einberger, Winemaker
Growing Season
- Vintage 2003 began with a typical bud break in early April.
- Bloom followed in early June. Warm, dry weather conditions during this phase (the start of fruit maturation) contributed to the uniformity of berry maturation at the end the of season.
- High heat accumulation during late summer – the warmest of the decade – created excellent ripening conditions.
- Very modest precipitation in August and September cooled the vineyards and slowed down the ripening process.
- At harvest, vineyards across the Columbia Valley had excellent physiological maturity and fl avor development across varietals.
Vineyards
- Premium vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley are sources for Columbia Crest’s Grand Estates program.
- Columbia Valley vineyards are seated east of the Cascade Mountain range. Up to 14,000 feet high, the mountains effectively block eastward-moving wet weather systems from the Pacific Ocean.
- Just 6 to 8 inches of rainfall reach the growing region annually. Vineyards are 100% drip irrigation.
- The soils have low fertility and low water-holding capacity, allowing precise control of vine growth patterns.
- Vines are planted north to south on south and southeast facing slopes.
Vinification
- Whole berry Chardonnay was pressed, and the juice was held at 50 degrees in stainless steel tanks for two days.
- The settled juice was placed into a combination of new and one-year-old American (60%) and French (40%) oak.
- The juice fermented up to 14 days, and then was re-inoculated to begin malolactic fermentation.
- All barrels were stirred by hand every week during the fi rst six months.
- Blending occurred after a total of nine months in the barrel.
Technical Data
- Total acidity: 0.45 g/100ml
- pH: 3.58
- Alcohol: 13.5%