World renowned. Washington grown.
2003 Two Vines Chardonnay
#99 on Top 100 Washington Wines list - Seattle Times
Tasting Notes
“The Two Vines Chardonnay offers fruit-forward aromatics of delicate lemon and honeydew melon that continue on the balanced finish. A lighter style designed for immediate enjoyment, this Chardonnay perfectly captures the varietal intensity indicative of Columbia Valley wines.” -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 end 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 flavor development across varietals.
Vineyards
- 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 cold settled for two days.
- Stainless steel fermentation captured the intensely fruity aromatics.
- Half of all lots underwent malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.
- Oak aging for six months occurred in 20% of the lots.
Technical Data
- Total acidity: 0.55 g/100ml
- pH: 3.61
- Alcohol: 13.50%