2020 Chardonnay – Macotera 01 Vineyard
Macotera 01 . Clements Hills AVA
Our Macotera 01 Chardonnay Vineyard’s fruit was one of the first off-the-vine in the 2020 season. We harvested the grapes when their sugars were low to create a lighter style wine, finishing with only 11% alcohol. Our low-intervention approach, and simply aging in Neutral French and American Oak, crafted a wine that expresses the vineyard. It displays pineapple aromas with a slight creamy note, and on the palate a bright pop of tropical fruit makes the natural brightness of the wine shine.
Certified Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing
Technical Details
| SOIL COMPOSITION | Gravelly Loam. Derivation Granite and Mixed Rock, |
| VINEYARD PHILOSOPHY | Certified Sustainable |
| TRELLISING | Vertical Shoot Positioning |
| CLONE | 04 |
| ACRES | 126.75 |
| LOCATION | 38°09’43.3”N, 121°04’57.4”W |
| HARVEST DATE | July 31st, 2020 |
| BRIX AT HARVEST | 19.2° |
| AGING | Neutral French & American Oak, 8 Months |
| BOTTLE DATE | July 15th, 2021 |
| CASES PRODUCED | 115 |
| TA | 5.3 g/L |
| PH | 3.81 |
| RS | 0.4 g/L |
Region: California
Appellation: Lodi
Vintage: 2020
Alcohol: 11%
Production Notes
To reflect on the 2020 growing season, we must look to the end of 2019. Our rain-season began with a good steady pace in late November and continued through early January, but Mother Nature turned off her spigot and we only had a couple good storms in March and April. As spring arrived, the vines awoke on-time, but the temperatures were erratic, resulting in shatter and poor berry set for many varietals. After a short heat spike in late May, summer temperatures were normal, and we had healthy vine canopies. In mid-August, lasting through September, high-elevation smoke from the wildfires was present off-and-on which likely moderated the forecasted high temperatures. In the end, most sensitive white varietals were harvested before the smoke arrived showing great quality aromatics and flavors, and the poor fruit set in many of our red varietals during the Spring gave us amazing concentration of flavor and aroma in the finished wines.
Other Notes
Clements Hills AVA – The Clements Hills AVA is located entirely within the Lodi Appellation tucked beneath the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is comprised of 85,400 acres with 21,700 acres planted to winegrapes. The region has a wide array of topography with slopes and terraces of old soils and volcanic sediments that provide a diversity of microclimates; there can be a 30 degree temperature change over a 24 hour period.
