2003 MEADOR ESTATE "BLOCK 9" CHARDONNAY

The grapes for this wine are grown in an extremely difficult area – composed of rock and gravel. The yields are very low, as the vines must struggle greatly just to survive. At twenty-seven years of age, these vines are into their “mature quality” production years. They are grown “on their own roots” in the ancient style – often referred to on French labels as “Vielle Vigne” meaning before phylloxera and not on rootstocks. Locations where this can be done are rare. We hand select the clusters at their optimum for our desired style and immediately the juice is separated to the finest of French oak 60 gallon barrels for fermentation where it resides for about one year before assemblage. Our old-world techniques lend themselves well to new-world fruitiness. Minimal intervention (but continual “tending”) combined with superior and unique fruit results in this expressing of terroir and man – a harmonious composition fully scored.

This is a classical Burgundian style Chardonnay, not a “fat” California style. It is barrel fermented using “battonage” procedures “Block 9” Chardonnay is aged for 1 year in Francoise Freres barrels. Lovely tones of English toffee with gobs of fruit mingle on the palate. The Meador Estate Chardonnay is a long aging wine whose components will blend and marry with age.