This wine comes from grapes grown on the “Y” Block at Bien Nacido Vineyard. “Y” Block is one of the older chardonnay blocks at Bien Nacido. It’s located on the gravelly river banks of the Cuyama River, just opposite the winery. Qupé is the only winery that gets these grapes. 2005 was an outstanding vintage in every way. A long cool growing season followed by perfect ripening weather in the Fall. Most of this first pick went into our Bien Nacido Cuvee – Chardonnay/ Viognier blend. We got plenty of juice in early, with lower alcohol and great acidity to balance the later, riper lots that give the wine its lush body and aromatics. The grapes were whole cluster pressed, the juice chilled overnight, then transferred to barrels for fermentation. We generally only use French oak for chardonnay (for that matter our other wines too), but in 2005 we ran short of barrels and had to scramble to buy more barrels. For this wine we used about 25% new François Frères French oak, 6% Canton Cooperage Polish oak and 4% François Frères Hungarian oak barrels. The result is a bit more new oak than we usually use. The wine went through malo in the barrel and was aged on the lees for 9 months. This is a beautifully balanced chardonnay – I like to call it “chardonnay you can drink.” The aromas are classic Bien Nacido with hints of citrus, pear, guava and cream, nicely balanced by the toasty oak. The flavors exhibit some minerality and, again, great balance. Drink this over the next 2-3 years, or, with good cellaring don’t be afraid to put it down for 8-10 years.
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