Reaper Russian River Chardonnay 2013
Ed Killian raised our 2013 Reaper Chardonnay in the cool climate littoral of the Russian River Valley. Here, heavy morning fog rises off the Pacific Ocean through the Petaluma Gap before eventually settling onto the renowned Adam and Eve Vineyard. The early morning fog covering the Adam and Eve vineyard results in the sort of long, slow growing season that is ideally suited to the aromatically complex, fully mature, beautifully pure wines we strive to produce.
The juice was split between a stainless steel tank and 3 barrels for fermentation. We used a 50/50 mixture of French Medium Toast Plus and French Medium Toast oak barrels. The juice was also co-inoculated for malolactic fermentation along with a slow fermenting yeast, and allowed to age 10 months sur lie in the original fermenters.