THE WINE The 2020 vintage marks the fourth year that Eyrie Chardonnay includes both the Draper selection from our Original Vines, but also heritage clones planted at Sisters Vineyard in the Dundee Hills.
DIVERSITY Two clones, one selection massale, and a five-decade span of vine ages contribute to a diverse and complex expression of Chardonnay.
80.5% DRAPER SELECTION - 53 YEAR OLD VINES, ORIGINAL VINEYARD
This is a massale selection made by David Lett in 1964 from old vines in California. Clusters and vines show a range of shapes and berry sizes.
6.2% WENTE CLONE - 5 YEAR OLD VINES, SISTERS VINEYARD
Wente is related to the same 1882 importation from France that sired the Draper selection.Wenteistypifiedbyopenclusterswith“hensandchicks”berrysizes.
13.3% STERLING CLONE - 5 YEAR OLD VINES, SISTERS VINEYARD
Sterling is another heritage clone originating from a California vineyard near the site of the Draper Selection. Intensely aromatic, with compact cluster and even berry sizes.
THE VITICULTURE & VINIFICATION Both estate vineyard sites are 100% certified organic and picked by hand. The grapes were pressed in a combination of antique basket press and Champagne cycle press. Juice was run to neutral French oak barrels, fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged on the lees for 11 months without stirring, and bottled with a light filtration.