Foppiano - Chardonnay | Californian White Wine

VINEYARDS:
Located just south of Healdsburg, Foppiano Vineyards sits on 160 acres in the acclaimed Russian River Valley. Cool morning fog and warm summer days create an ideal microclimate for grape growing. The Foppiano family has been producing world class fruit on this land since its purchase in 1896. Today, the vineyards are planted with Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc on the warmer bench lands, and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the cooler land close to the Russian River.

WINEMAKING:
Whole cluster pressing is a tried and true technique to enhance the quality of barrel fermented Chardonnay. The grapes were harvested by hand in the early morning. The clusters were then pressed and juice was drained directly into chilled tanks. From there, after settling, the juice was inoculated with yeast and sent to a combination of new French oak and used barrels. We stirred the lees once a week, only during primary fermentation, to enhance the mouthfeel of the wine and to preserve fruit. After the primary fermentation, 65% of the wine went through native malolactic fermentation.