Located in the cool, rolling hills near Occidental, California, the famed Heintz Ranch experienced another wonderful vintage in 2017, idyllic growing conditions with plentiful winter and spring rains, which led to an excellent fruit set. While the summer was warm, with occasional heat spikes, healthy canopies and thoughtful pruning provided ideal dappled sunlight on the vines. While the pace of harvest was challenging, the fruit came in beautifully, fermented flawlessly, and yielded wines with vibrant fruit and lovely acidity.
Expertly farmed by Charlie Heintz to match low yields with intense flavors, the already clean fruit was picked at night, sorted and whole-cluster pressed. The next day it was racked off the heavy lees and fermented to dryness in our cold barrel room with partial malolactic. The wine was racked to barrel and aged for 10 months in 25% new Seguin Moreau barrels.
Light golden straw color. An enticing nose of lemon rind and citrus leads to an easy entry to the palate with flavors of Meyer lemon and quince. Medium-bodied with a nuanced delicate texture. A surprisingly long-lasting finish with just the right amount of acidity to leave you wanting another glass. Drink now through 2024.