Bonterra Organic Estates The Roost Chardonnay 2022

Winemaking Notes

Vinification began as whole clusters were pressed to gently extract the finest cut of free-run juice.

• 94% of the juice was fermented in fine grain Burgundy oak barrels (15% new), with light to medium-plus toast and untoasted heads (predominantly first- and second-use barrels to preserve grape characteristics). Tight stave grain allows for richer aromatics and fewer tannins, while untoasted barrel heads allow natural fruit character to shine.
• 6% was fermented in concrete eggs to retain bright minerality.

The wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation to soften the mouthfeel, without masking the fruit. It was aged sur lie for 10 months in Burgundy oak barrels (15% new), with bi-monthly bâttonage, a labor-intensive process that adds mouthfeel and the perception of sweetness.

Vineyard Notes

Blue Heron Vineyard is aptly named for the great Blue Herons that nest in the oak trees along the Russian River, hovering above Bonterra’s signature site for white grape varieties. Alongside these stately birds, organically farmed vines bask in months of sunshine, delivering an exquisitely aromatic Chardonnay. Clone 4 is grown in a mix of deep, well-draining loam soils and deep, lesser draining clay-loam soils, formed by alluvium weathered from sedimentary rock. Dijon 96 is grown in well-draining cobbly clay-loam soils, formed from Russian River sand, cobble and silt deposits.

Riparian influence and moderate temperatures create ideal winegrowing conditions. Inland Mendocino echoes a Mediterranean climate with 40 inches of rain annually, predominantly during the winter months.