Chardonnay, Ingrid’s Vineyard - 2010

Ingrid’s Vineyard is planted directly in front of Bernardus Lodge in the beautiful Carmel Valley. The vineyard is split into two equal parts. 3 ½ acres are planted to Chardonnay with Dijon clones 76 and 95, while the other 3 ½ acres are planted to a variety of Pinot Noir clones. This site has proven to be superb for these cool climate varietals with its sunny, but cool location and its deep, well-drained soils.

2010 was a perfect growing season on the Central Coast, with a mild, sunny summer and warm, dry weather throughout the harvest season, along with low yields. Our Vineyard Manager, Matt Shea, insures meticulous vineyard management which provides us with excellent quality fruit.

At Bernardus, we ferment and age our Chardonnays in the Burgundian tradition. The grapes are hand picked and sorted before being very gently whole-cluster pressed to insure the finest quality. We then transfer the juice to small French barrels for fermentation. Each barrel is hand stirred every two weeks to enhance richness and complexity. All Chardonnay goes through a complete malo-lactic fermentation before final blending and bottling.

Our 2010 displays a complex aroma of baked apple and pear along with notes of spice and toasty oak. The delicious flavors are rich in texture and exhibit nuances of ripe fruits, flan and crème brûlée. The crisp acidity provides a fresh counter-point to these and supports the lengthy finish.

Picking dates: October 21st and November 4th, 2011.

Cooperage: 100% French oak barrels: Sirugue, Damy, Billon and Dargaud & Jaegle.

Bottling:
August 11th, 2011.

Case Production:
401 cs. (750 mls.)
189 cs. (375 mls.)