2009 Reserve Chardonnay 750

Color: Pale yellow hue with high viscosity and great clarity. Aroma: Roast nuts, baked apple and ripe peach notes, alongside a deft clove note and some creaminess. Palate: Ripe fruit with apple and peach flavors and a tart, well balanced finish. Smoky, pungent almond notes and a slight roast corn flavor add to the complexity.

The 2009 growing season began with an early bud break (early March) due to the extremely warm spring temperatures. An early April frost rolled into the Paso Robles area but our vineyards were unaffected due to their hillside stature. A warm consistent summer segued into moderate early fall. The balanced weather allowed us to pick on flavor profiles without any concerns of excessive heat or cooler temperatures. Our red wine sources and home vineyard have shown incredible density and power of varietal expression, despite a ferocious rainstorm that dropped over 9 inches of rain on October 14, when over 80% of the grapes were already in tank or barrel. This delayed the completion of harvest, but the hearty cabernet sites shrugged off the water and retained great concentration and flavor. The style of the vintage will be flashy and intense.

The JUSTIN Reserve Chardonnay is designed as the most intense and ageable white wine we make, using our best fruit from the top west-side Paso Robles vineyards in the grandest traditions of great white Burgundy. We select small lots for extended lees and barrel time to enrich and empower each bottle. Though the wine is not overly oaky, it does offer the best expression of the fine cooperage we select for this wine.