6 - 2009 Hangtime Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County, Central Coast, 750ml
2009 Hangtime Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County, Central Coast
Sumptuous tropical aromas of coconut and lime lead to layers of apple and melon flavors punctuated by a bright zip of acidity on the finish that melts into creaminess. Pair with salmon, crab cakes, and poultry, sit back, and enjoy a little hang time of your own!
We named this wine after a key part of viticulture – the amount of time grapes spend hanging on the vines ripening to perfection. The longer it takes to reach that peak of ripeness within the growing season, the more concentrated the fruit character emerges, resulting in a wine with distinctive & delicious varietal expression. Winemaker Tony Coltrin keeps a close eye on the clusters hanging in the vineyard in order to decide exactly how many days on the vine they need to attain complete maturity. For our 2009 Chardonnay, that ideal number turned out to be, on average, 128 days.
Nestled against the cool Central Coast’s Santa Lucia Mountains, the Arroyo Seco AVA claims one of California’s longest grape-growing seasons. Chardonnay grapes can take their time ripening, and Arroyo Seco’s alluvial, gravelly and sandy loam soils, coupled with cool breezes from Monterey Bay, offer optimal growing conditions for it. This results in the slow, steady development of pure fruit balanced by natural acidity. We enhance the character of these grapes by fermenting the wine in oak barrels, with a simultaneous malolactic fermentation, to add a layer of creaminess and beautiful notes of spice and toast.
