2014 Steele Chardonnay California Cuvee

Our flagship white wine, California Cuvee Chardonnay, really shows off Jed Steele’s wizardry in blending. As with all great wines, the process begins with the selection of the right vineyards. We have worked with most of the great Chardonnay vineyards in California and have chosen these six prestigious properties to obtain the grapes for this wine. Vineyards Beginning in the south, the area around the Santa Maria Valley has a maritime climate with lots of morning fog in the summer and cool evenings. We get grapes from Bien Nacido Vineyards, located on the benches above the Sisquoc River and from the Goodchild Vineyard about a mile away across the river. Farther north we source grapes from the Carneros region, in the southern part of Sonoma County that borders the San Francisco/San Pablo Bay. Cool winds and morning fog are artifacts of the weather pattern in Carneros, making the region perfect for Chardonnay. The Sangiacomo Family farms 1000 acres of vineyards here. We source grapes from their Katerina and El Novillero ranches. The meticulously farmed vineyards of Durell and Parmelee-Hill are slightly further inland and tend to ripen sooner than Sangiacomo. Again moving north, we arrive in Mendocino County. The Lolonis Family has been farming in Redwood Valley since the 1920’s, farming organically since the 1950’s. Winemaking Fermentation takes place in French oak barrels of which 10% are new. The wine remains in barrel for eight months, the lees are stirred regularly, and the wine can finish malolactic fermentation. We then conduct blending trials to arrive at the best blend for the Steele Cuvee Chardonnay. Any excess wine that doesn’t fit into category, becomes our Shooting Star Chardonnay. Due to the popularity of our Cuvee we release this wine in both full and half bottles. Tasting Notes The Cuvee consistently exhibits excellent depth of flavor, wonderful acidity and complex aromas. The Santa Maria vineyards add a tropical fruit character to the wine, flavors and aroma of mango, pineapple, and papaya. The Sonoma vineyards attribute citrus character and acid to the cuvee. The Mendocino vineyard flavor profile leans toward citrus fruit, baked apples and cinnamon. Food Pairing Halibut with a white wine burre blanc sauce would compliment the complex flavors of the Cuveé Chardonnay any day.