2006
Mitsuko's Vineyard Chardonnay
Clos Pegase
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The 2006 season began with flooding over the New Years period, which made national news, but left dormant vines unaffected. Plentiful rain in the spring followed, leading to a slightly delayed budbreak, and the cool weather persisted right into early May, slowing the onset of flowering. A burst of warmth in the latter half of May and then into June was perfect for fruit-set and produced great uniformity of berry development. A moderate and dry summer was punctuated by a 10-day heat spike in late July, but as fall progressed, mild conditions prevailed. The harvest was approximately two weeks later than ‘average’ and the consistency of weather during flowering and harvest has given Chardonnay of great purity and depth. Mitsuko’s vineyard, located south of Highway 121 in the cooler part of Napa Carneros, and has proved to have an abundance of ideal sites for Chardonnay. Purchased as bare land in 1989, we have continued to refine our plantings to maximize the potential of the site. As part of this ongoing development, we are discovering the best clones of Chardonnay to match each site, and subsequently our blend continues to evolve. For the 2006 vintage, our heritage clones form the core of the blend at 79% - Wente for weight and acidity, Atlas Peak and See for tropical notes, and Rued for lifted aromatics. Equally significant are the Dijon Clones which are broad, rich and complex; in the blend at 21% this year. The result of this 100% Chardonnay blend is a wine of great intensity, yet with elegance and balance. On the nose, peach pear, and nectarine are deftly balanced with complex yet integrated toasty French oak. The palate is lush and textured, supple and full, with masses of opulent ripe fruit leading to a rich and long finish.