Winemaker Notes:
This is the first 100% concrete egg aged Chardonnay from The
Williamsburg Winery, and I could not be happier. The wine exhibits a plethora of fresh fruits
such as pineapple, pear, apple, apricot, lemon, and peach. With the fruit are some lovely notes of grass/hay,
wildflowers, butterscotch, and vanilla with a bit of minerality/chalky notes. On the palate the wine is fruit forward with
a wonderful balance and a lingering finish.
This could end up being one of my favorite chardonnays! Thank you Sheldon(s)!
Vintage:
Starting with a mild winter we rolled into an early spring. In late March we started seeing temps in the
70’s with just a few cooler days to follow.
The spring conditions led to excellent fruit set and ultimately a
bountiful crop. The summer, for
Virginia, was very mild with only a few days of hot humid conditions. The Autumn was particularly dry with warm
days and cool nights. From mid-September to early October we experienced very
little rain which is invaluable for maturing grapes. I believe the 2019 vintage to be the best I
have experienced in Virginia for my tenure here.
Blend
100% Chardonnay
Harvest
The Crown Orchard Chardonnay was harvested on 10 September 2019
at 20.9 brix, 3.48 pH and 5.71g/L TA.
Vineyard Source:
Crown Orchard and
Vineyards, Covesville, VA.
Fermentation
The Crown Orchard Chardonnay fermented for 16 days in
stainless steel with Rhone4600 Yeast.
Aging
10 months in concrete eggs “Sheldon”
Bottling Date
14 July 2020 – 228 cases
Release Date
27 October 2020
Technical Information
12.4% Alc
3.72 pH
5.24g/L TA
0.09% RS (dry)
