2014 Clones

Clones is a barrel-fermented chardonnay with a skin-fermented twist! Our 2014 Clones is wild, alluring and sexy. Clones is a unique white blend that is based primarily on ten distinct clones of Chardonnay and also includes five other grape varieties. The 2014 version is composed of 70% Chardonnay, 13% Tocai Friulano, 8% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Pinot Grigio, 2% Muscat Ottonel and 2% Gewurztraminer,  This dry white wine is light gold in color with pronounced aromas and flavors of poached pear, toasted apple, minerals, brown spices, lemon glaze, lemon curd, honey, brioche, white flowers and marcona almonds. Our 2014 Clones is medium-bodied, has moderate alcohol, juicy acidity and a long, persistent, flavorful finish. The wine was fermented and raised in Slovenian and French oak puncheons, hogsheads and barrels of which 33% were new and 67% were older and neutral.  The majority of the wine, but not all, was fermented with ambient/wild yeast and went through a "natural" secondary or malo-lactic fermentation.   The oak integration (12 months spent in barrel) in our 2014 Clones is lovely and the balance of fruit, acid, alcohol and oak coupled with the finesse and paradoxical texture of rich and round with a precise and angular mouthfeel make this a truly excellent bottle of Chardonnay. The finish is long, complex and persistent. The fruit for the wine was all hand-harvested and the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Tocai were whole cluster-pressed while a bit of the gewurz, tocai, pinot grigio and muscat were fermented on their skins and then blended back into the Chardonnay lot. The juice and wine were handled minimally and the wine was bottled by gravity on September 11th, 2015. The wine has benefitted from time in bottle and is irresistible now, however our 2014 "Clones" will improve for two or three years more in the bottle and drink well for at least another five years. Pair this tasty white with a roast chicken, smoked trout, crispy skin wild salmon or char, local bluefish, sautéed scallops, local monkish, mushroom risotto or a clam pie. 322 cases produced. 8 bottle max per customer.