Klassen Wines Chardonnay

Klassen Chardonnay

WHY WE LOVE IT

  • The grapes are harvested by hand late at night in mid-September. The fruit is then transported to the Miraflores winery where it is allowed to briefly cold settle before being pressed off by Marco Cappelli.
  • This Chardonnay was fermented in French oak barriques with the lees stirred monthly. After racking, the wine completed its maturation in barrique and was then bottled.

Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay

Elaboration: The Klassen Chardonnay is Dijon clone grown at 2100 feet elevation in the limestone rich soils of Calaveras County. The fruit is harvested at night and delivered to our custom crush facility in Murphys, California. The fruit is crushed and de-stemmed and then goes straight to the press. The wine starts ferment in stainless and then is transferred to neutral oak where it completes fermentation on lees. We rack it off gross lees and put back in barrels for another 6 months and then straight to bottle.

Tasting Notes: The Dijon clone Chardonnay has the pear melon flavors of a nice Macon mixed with the mango and lichee notes of California. The finish is marked by some minerality mixed with the sweetness of oak.

PRESS

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PRODUCER BACKGROUND

Brian Klassen is a negotiant based in Murphys California. He has been producing wine under his label for 19 years. Klassen is a veteran of the wine industry in Australia the US and Canada. As a negotiant he sources grapes, juice and wine from around the Sierra Foothills. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet from high elevation vineyards in Calaveras County, Zinfandel from the Frank Herbert Vineyard in El Dorado County and Barbera from the Rancho Victoria vineyard in Amador County.

The Indian Rock Vineyard in Calaveras County is farmed by brothers Dimitiro and Ray Nava. The soils of Calaveras County contain a great deal of limestone making the region a perfect place for the Dijon clones of Chardonnay.

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