St. Francis Sonoma Chardonnay is styled to be a crisp, fresh expression of the varietal of classic Sonoma character. The clean, white fruit and melon aromas are offset by a discreet measure of new oak and vanilla which carry onto the palate. The fruit flavors are ripe, medium full-bodied and clean, supported by a fresh, lively acidity, moderate complexity and supple texture. The finish is succulent and persistent, repeating the well-balanced notes of tropical fruit and oak.

Tasting notes

This ripe, lush, direct Chardonnay is a classic Sonoma expression of the grape, with overt tropical fruit and apple flavors, rich toasty oak notes and a crisp, supple finish.

Rating

Our best of tasting was clear - a classy, well-made wine with plenty of fruit wound tightly, some austerity and terrific hints of earth and minerals. A repeat favorite.

Wine maker notes

The fruit is brought to the winery, crushed, and the juice immediately pressed from the skins, and allowed to settle for two to three days at 40F. The must is racked from the lees into fresh stainless steel tanks and allowed to warm to 50F; the lees are filtered and returned to the racked must. The juice is then inoculated with yeast and yeast nutrient, and once fermentation is underway, 40 percent of the lot is transferred to new French and American oak barrels, where the fermentation is completed at a temperature of 60 to 65F after one to two weeks. The 60 percent of the blend remaining in stainless steel completes fermentation at a temperature of 50 to 55F over a period of three to four weeks. At this point, the barrel-fermented lots are transferred to tank, the barrels cleaned, and the wine returned to barrel with a slight addition of sulphur dioxide. Over the six months the wine remains in barrel, the fine lees are stirred and the barrels topped roughly once every three weeks. Up to between ten and 15 percent of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. The barrel lots are then blended with those in stainless steel and chilled, fined, filtered and bottled.

Technical notes

GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Chardonnay ALCOHOL CONTENT: ±12.5 - 13.8% TOTAL ACIDITY: ±6.8 - 8.2 grams/litre RESIDUAL SUGAR: ±2.0 - 4.0 grams/litre