Steven Kent 2004 Merrillie Chardonnay, DeMayo Vineyard

Vineyard Notes:
The DeMayo Vineyard located in the center of the historic Livermore Valley serves as the fruit source for the 2004 Steven Kent Merrillie. A gently-rolling, 14-acre site, the DeMayo Vineyard is planted to the historic Wente clone, configured in 6’ x 6’ spacing, and trellised using our preferred method, Vertical Shoot Position. The density of planting (over 1,200 vines per acre) and the open nature of the canopy, which maximizes exposure to the ripening effects of the sun while minimizing the amount of spraying needed, aid the effort of the vineyard managers to grow small lots of perfectly ripened Chardonnay.

Winemaker Tasting Notes:
Redolent with aromas of fig, lime peel, orange water, and roasted nuts, the brightness of fruit upon entry (think lemon oil and pear) leads immediately to a massive middle.

In the mouth, this wine grows abundantly, an organoleptic equivalent of the Greek Ù. The biscuity flavors of 18 months of aging on the lees couple with the exotic flavors of cardamom and crushed stones and continue upward and outward, carried on the back of a streak of acidity. The wine finishes very long with minerally notes of lime leaves and Meyer lemon.