2019 Bouche d'Or Late Harvest Chardonnay

Description

The Bouche d’Or displays a lush nose of apricots, honeycomb and marzipan that greets the senses and opens to succulent stone fruit and white flower aromatics. While Bouche d’Or may be sweet, it is balanced with bright acidity and crispness. This wine can stand on its own as a dessert wine and also makes a great accompaniment to a cheese course. Hard, salty cheeses like Manchego and aged Gouda pair quite successfully. Less-sweet desserts like lemon meringue tart, grilled peaches or apple galette are also excellent choices. The lush vibrant palate is incredibly versatile and hypnotizing.

Growing Season
The 2019 growing season will be remembered as a “Goldilocks” vintage. Not too cold, not too hot . . . but just right. Late rains in May had growers biting their nails as these storms can cause damage to vines that are flowering, leading to reduced crop. However, sunshine won that battle and the rains disappeared giving way to a long, consistent growing season throughout the summer. No major heat events appeared during harvest time allowing for beautiful ripening at an even pace. Juuuust right.

Vinification
Bouche d’Or, literally “mouth of gold”, is an intriguing dessert wine produced from Chardonnay. Each year we designate and reserve two acres of our Estate Chardonnay vineyard for the Bouche d’Or. The main Chardonnay is harvested in September with the Bouche d’Or not arriving until December. With very little botrytis bloom this year, the period of concentration was extended, bringing the grapes to the alchemical end point that turns wine to gold.