2009 Foley Chardonnay, Steel

Ratings:
90 Points Wine Spectator, July 2011

★★★★★ Restaurant Wine, 2011

Vineyard Notes:
Rancho Las Hermanas covers a total of 213 planted acres on a 569 acre parcel in the Santa Rita Hills AVA. It is comprised of two separate vineyards, named after Bill Foley's two daughters: Lindsay's Vineyard, planted to red varietals and Courtney's Vineyard, planted to white varietals. Originally planted by Fess Parker Winery and known as Ashley's Vineyard, the property is the westernmost in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and benefits from the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean. The vineyard is planted on over six different soil types, all of marine origin. The various soil types and slope exposures create ideal microclimates for each varietal to express their full potential.

Winemaker Notes:
Fermented exclusively in stainless steel tanks, this Chardonnay demonstrates the pristine character of our estate Sta. Rita Hills vineyards. This wine has signature mineral aromatics, with fruit notes of lime zest and lemon curd. Having not been put through malolactic fermentation or aging in oak barrels, the wine has a lively acidity and great structure. This wine is a perfect pairing with any light & fresh cuisine.

Other Notes:
Located in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Rita Hills AVA, Rancho Santa Rosa represents one of the most ambitious hillside vineyards endeavors in Santa Barbara County. As part of the original Spanish Land Grant, the 460-acre Rancho Santa Rosa property is one of Santa Barbara’s most historic parcels. Purchased in 1998 by William Foley II, the stunning property boasts a magnificent south-facing hillside that includes 500 feet in elevation change, with the highest peaks at 1000 feet above sea level. The expansive hillside has a variety of soil types and exposures, and when coupled with the property’s direct exposure to the Pacific Ocean the ranch is the ideal vineyard site for the cultivation of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. During the summer months, the weather is tempered by continual marine influences, lengthening the growing season and allowing for a longer, steadier ripening period.

Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard is farmed with the painstaking care and attention usually associated with much smaller vineyards. In fact, Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard was conceived as multiple micro-vineyards, with 59 unique blocks comprising 230 acres of planted vines. Each block is distinguished by soil type, exposure, elevation, grade, rootstock and clone. This process of micro-farming, unusual in the United States, is reminiscent of the practices of the famed Grand Crus of Burgundy.