Falcon Series Wines
2009 Estate Old Vine Chardonnay
The VineyardOne hundred percent of our Chardonnay comes form our own Kestrel View Estate Vineyard. The Chardonnay was planted in 1972 and is the oldest Chardonnay in the state of Washington. Our vineyard is also unique in that the Chardonnay is the “Wente” clone and represents one of only a few Wente clone Chardonnay vineyards in the state. The Wente clone is known for being “shy bearing”. This means it produces modest quantities of high quality fruit. The Wente clone also produces a different flavor and aroma profile. While still showing pear, honeysuckle, citrus and floral notes like the “other” Chardonnay clone, the Wente clone offers hints of mineral, nutmeg, clove and a slight Muscat note.
The WinemakingAll the fruit was hand picked and sorted prior to being gently whole cluster pressed. Many wineries press the grapes in hopes of achieving a yield of 170 to 180 gallons of juice per ton. We stop pressing in the 135 to 145 gallon per ton range. Higher pressures result in a juice possessing a bitterness which will ultimately need to be “fined” out of the wine. Better to return that portion of juice to the vineyard than diminish a wine’s potential by over processing. Upon settling for two days, the clear juice was racked to French oak barrels where it was fermentation with three wild yeast strains. The young wine was aged on the yeast sediment for fourteen months, where it underwent the process of Sur Lie, stirring bi-weekly. It was filtered upon bottling.
The WineThe 2009 Kestrel Chardonnay is a powerful and particularly well balanced Chardonnay. The wine boasts a rich mineral element, is full bodied, and bursting with green apple, vanilla, melon, citrus blossoms, lemon, and toast. The minerality reminds me of warm rain on cement. I feel that this is an exceptional Chardonnay, made in the tradition of the old world. The combination of the wild yeast strains, the Wente Clone, and the manner in which it was fermented and cared for created a complex wine with many layers. As the layers unfold you will see the breadth of this wine, and I hope find a whole new appreciation for Chardonnay, as I have. -FN
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