
2015 Foley Estates T Anchor Ranch Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills
91 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Winemaker Notes
This 2015 T Anchor Ranch Chardonnay is an excellent representation of
our Rancho Santa Rosa East vineyard and clone 4 of Chardonnay. The
wine opens with gorgeous aromatics of caramel, butter, and honeycomb
which transform on the mouth. Flavors of white jasmine flower, ripe
pineapple and yellow peach come to the forefront on the well-balanced
palate. The finish lingers with toasted hazelnut and graham cracker crust
nuances. An ideal wine to enjoy on a warm summer evening.
Composition
100% Chardonnay
Wine Specs
Vintage
2015
Varietal
Chardonnay
Appellation
Sta. Rita Hills
Harvest Date
August 19 - October 1, 2015.
Acid
7.3 g/L
pH
3.23
Aging
18 months; 40% new French and Hungarian oak; World Cooperage & Trust
Bottling Date
April 6, 2017
Alcohol %
14.1
Production Notes
The grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed and transferred to tank
following harvest. After a day of cold-settling, the juice was inoculated
and racked to 40% new French and Hungarian oak barrels. It then
underwent regular stirring of the lees for added texture and complexity.
All lots were kept separate throughout vinification and aging to ensure
character, distinctiveness and quality. After 18 months in barrel under
cool cellar conditions, the wine was bottled.
Vineyard Notes
There’s only one way to describe the Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard: serene.
Located in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County, these
stunning hillsides feature vines that climb from 500 to 1,000 feet above
sea level. The soils are marine-based and the weather is consistently cool
thanks to moist ocean breezes that sweep the property daily. The vineyard
is farmed with the painstaking care and attention usually associated with
much smaller properties. In fact, this vineyard was originally conceived as
a series of individual micro-vineyards delineated by soil, exposure,
elevation, grade, rootstock and clone. The 2015 vintage was early and light yielding fruit with exceptional
flavor concentration. The vines experienced no hard dormancy and
above average temperatures in February resulting in an early bud break,
flowering and fruit set. The drought caused the vines to struggle and
produce smaller berry size and overall cluster size which resulted in high
quality wines that are rich, complex and intense in character. Harvest
occurred from August 19 - October 1, 2015.
Production
Only 347 cases produced