VINTAGE
The growing season of 2005 saw a return to more typical Monterey vintage weather – foggy mornings, warm days with temperatures not exceeding 85 degrees, and windswept cool afternoons and evenings. This proved quite a relief to our harvest crew who had been through two consecutive hellish vintages in 2003 and 2004, which finished with heat waves requiring non-stop picking. Heavy winter rains and cool weather in the early spring prompted a March bud break with slow vine growth until late spring. When set appeared in late May, we saw an abundance of baby clusters, but had little idea of the record vintage to come. The anticipated hot spell during harvest never materialized, and instead, ripening came gradually in 2005, which allowed us to pick each vineyard block at its optimum of flavor development and acidity. Harvest began on September 15th and concluded on October 17th. The combination of California Chardonnay clones (numbers 4 and 5) produced final harvest chemistries of 24.4 degrees Brix with 8.3 grams per liter of acid – an ideal balance of ripeness and acidity. The 2005 Riverstone Chardonnay exhibits the best that Monterey has to offer, enticing peach and citrus fruit character, toasty complexity from barrel fermentation, and refreshing acidity.
CHARDONNAY
The 2005 vintage marks the nineteenth year of production of our J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay, from our vineyards in the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County. Each year, starting in 1995, we have experimented with and have incorporated higher percentages of traditional Burgundian production techniques into Riverstone, until the desired complexity and end-results were achieved (reaching 60% in 2000). The result is a complex and nuanced Chardonnay with an abundance of Arroyo Seco fruit, with subtle barrel fermentation and malolactic character. The vines are grown primarily on Elder loam soils underlain by "riverstones" deposited over thousands of years from the Arroyo Seco River, allowing a four-foot rooting zone that keeps the vines' vegetative growth and fruit in balance. Additionally, the cool climate and winds of the Salinas Valley extend the growing season and retain the natural grape acids and intense varietal character of the Chardonnay.
TECHNICAL DATA
Origin: Riverstone, Arroyo Seco AVA
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Harvest Dates: September 15th to October 17th, 2005
Brix at Harvest: 24.4o average
Total Acidity: 0.83 g/100 ml
pH at Bottling: 3.36
Alcohol: 13.95% by volume
Vinification: 100% barrel fermented in combined French and American oak at 55°F to 65°F. Malolactic fermentation in barrel of 60% of the Chardonnay
Maturation: 9 months in combined French and American oak
Barrels from new to third fill.
WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
The 2005 J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay has an attractive, youthful, brassy yellow color. The fresh aromas of lime zest, nectarine, peach and apple combined with the perfumed vanilla and toasted oak bouquet from the barrel fermentation, malolactic fermentation and sur lie aging create an elegant Chardonnay from Monterey's Arroyo Seco AVA. The flavors are very clean with peach, nectarine and citrus with subtle butter and vanilla toastiness, producing layers of complexity with an excellent balance of fresh fruit acidity and palate-weight. This wine is ideal for pairing with richly-textured fish and seafood or cream-sauced pasta dishes.
Jeff Meier, vice president of winemaking.
For $10, the J. Lohr Riverstone Estates Chardonnay (Monterey County) is a bargain. We liked it so much we drank a bottle two nights in a row - first with a salmon with a citrus sauce and last night with lemon/olive oil pork chops. My father-in-law, not usually a chardonnay fan, really liked this wine (Mmmmm. Very good, he said). So did the partner in tasting (PIT). So I picked up another bottle at Trader Joe's. I served this wine quite cold and liked it because it was smooth and light-- citrusy/pear in the mouth with a lot of vanilla (Big, big on the oak.) Nothing cloying or overblown about this chardonnay. Why it's called Riverstone? This from the winemaker:
The vines are grown primarily on Elder loam soils underlain by "riverstones" deposited over thousands of years from the Arroyo Seco River, allowing a four-foot rooting zone that keeps the vines¡¯ vegetative growth and fruit in balance. Additionally, the cool climate and winds of the Salinas Valley extend the growing season and retain the natural grape acids and intense varietal character of the Chardonnay.
I say: good. Maybe a couple of bottles.
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