
PHILOSOPHY
Lynmar Estate celebrates the distinctive terroir of the various vineyards we farm creating wines that are elegant, complex, balanced, and age worthy. Acting as stewards of the land, the winemaking team takes great care to craft wines that truly represent the dynamic, cool-climate soils from the vineyards where the grapes are grown. A genuine mosaic of the land, the people, the food and the synergy of place at Lynmar Estate is revealed in each vintage
2006 GROWING SEASON
The 2006 growing season was particularly challenging in the Russian River Valley. Higher humidity during the summer months resulted in greater mildew pressure across the appellation, exacerbated by weather during harvest that provided perfect growing conditions for botrytis, or "noble rot.” Extreme diligence was required with Chardonnay, especially in our latest ripening sites (like Zephyr Farms). Numerous, and costly, extra “thinning passes” were the norm and ensured the area around the grape clusters had good air flow and that crop loads were properly balanced. At the winery, all incoming fruit was rigorously hand-sorted. The bottom line for Lynmar is that we came through a challenging harvest with excellent quality potential. Primary characteristics of the wines from 2006, in general, will be lower than average alcohols and bright natural acidity. This is a vintage that will play very well to Lynmar’s balanced, elegant, acid-driven house style.
WINEMAKING
All fruit was hand-harvested early morning and transported to the winery while still cool, then hand-sorted and gently whole-cluster pressed. Juice was only lightly settled before transfer to a combination of new and used 60-gallon French oak barrels. Slow primary fermentation with native yeasts lasted over 8 months, with malolactic fermentation (“ML”) actually finishing first after about 6 months. Lees were stirred weekly through ML, contributing textural richness and body to the wine. This vintage saw 100% ML, yet retains excellent acidity. Barrel coopers were Francois Freres, and Remond, with all 3-year air dried wood, and a medium toast. After 16 months in barrel on original lees, the finished wine was gently and carefully racked into stainless steel tanks for further settling before bottling.
TASTING NOTES
Beautiful color of deep goldlovely green highlights. On the nose, rich notes of peaches and creamover-laid by great complexity of hazelnuts, acacia and toasty French oak. These enticing aromas last and last, becoming more and more complex as the wine opens in the glass. The palate is full and rich, with elegant cool-climate acidity to balance the concentrated apricot and peach fruit notes. Luscious flavors of butterscotch and cedar oak play wonderfully against accents of wild mushroom and forest floor. The finish is fresh, pure and very long. Our first vintage of Zephyr Farms Chardonnay is very approachable and enjoyable now but will become more complex and rich with time, if you can keep your hands off it! We expect this wine to improve with cellaring for 3-5 more years, or through 2011-2013.
WINE INFORMATION
Varietal Composition:
100% Chardonnay
Winemaker:
Hugh Chappelle
Aging: 16 months in small (60gal.) French oak barrels (50% new)
Consulting Winemaker:
Paul Hobbs
Consulting Viticulturist:
Greg Adams
T.A.: 0.61
pH: 3.59
Alcohol: 14.7%
Cases Produced:
47 cases (9L equiv.)
Bottling Date:
February 21, 2008
Suggested Retail Price:
$70
Other products in the category Wines:
2007 Jenkins Vineyard Pinot Noir -- Aromas truly leap from the glass and immediately captivate, with primary notes of cherry and raspberry, accented with both red and dark fruit elements. There is also is a deft touch of toasty oak which adds spice and complexity, but in no way competes wit
2006 Quail Hill Vineyard Chardonnay -- Appearance is bright yellow-green gold and leads into a complex nose of toast, peaches & cream, bread, acacia, and hazelnuts. The aromas are fresh and compelling with noticeable intensity and focus. The palate is full bodied and rich yet elegant
2006 Quail Hill Vineyard, Bliss Block Pinot Noir -- Our “Bliss Block” Pinot Noir is from a unique part of the estate and in one of the coolest pockets of the property. From the very beginning this vineyard block gave us wines of a highly distinctive and individualistic quality
2006 Quail Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir -- What we have in this wine is taut highly aromatic expression of our estate vineyard where elegance, balance, and structure are all seamlessly interwoven. The texture here is still youthfully firm but with a vibrant energy
Quail Hill Chardonnay Vertical -- 2004 - 2006 Quail Hill Vineyard Chardonnay
2004 Quail Hill Vineyard Chardonnay -- The flavors are complex and subtle, revealing bright key lime, verbena and Gravenstein apple notes, balanced by ginger, clove and a briny minerality.
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