Heron Chardonnay California 2005

There may be no better deal in California Chardonnay that the Heron. Sourced from a few of California's best appellations for the grape, picked at low yields, fermented in a combination of oak and stainless steel (50% each) and bottled without undergoing malolactic fermentation in order to maintain verve and acidity, this white is easily adaptable to all kinds of foods and definitely deserves a place at your dinner table.

Average 22 year-old vines, yields 3.5 tons per acre. All dry-farmed, cool-climate vineyards: Russian River for elegance, minerality and high tones, Carneros for structure and complexity and Santa Maria for fragrant aromatics. Half Stainless Steel, Half French oak barrel fermentation. Aged sur-lie about 6 months, new, one and two year-old French oak barrels, frequent battonage. We are one of the few wineries in California not using malolactic fermentation on Chardonnay because we prefer the natural bright acidity of the grape.