What’s New at Shafer

2007 Red Shoulder Ranch® Chardonnay

Single-vineyard approach offers both consistency and unpredictability

There are two sides to being a single-vineyard wine such as Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay. The first is that each vintage is different and some years offer more fruit, some less. In 2007 the vineyard gave us 1,000 fewer cases than our previous vintage thanks to a combination of smaller clusters and a number of acres undergoing replanting.

The flip side is that year after year our vineyard produces Chardonnay grapes full of lush, exotic flavors.

In that regard the 2007 vintage was stellar, giving us a dry, warm spring leading to an early budbreak and ideal conditions for set (when flowers turn to berries on the vine). In spite of the early start to the season the fruit matured at a leisurely pace thanks to a long cool summer.

Since the wine undergoes no malolactic fermentation it retains its lively, natural acidity. The fruit is sustainably farmed and, in fact, the vineyard is named for the Red-shouldered Hawks and other birds of prey that play an important role in our natural cultivation practices.

“Floral and white fruit aromas give way to flavors of tangerine blossom, honeydew melon, exotic spice, and apricot, all held together with bright acidity, good structure and elegant balance,” says Shafer Winemaker Elias Fernandez of this release.

INFO

Vineyard Location
Shafer’s Red Shoulder Ranch in Carneros

Varietal Composition
100% Chardonnay

Brix at Harvest
24.0° – 25.0°

Fermentation
Fermented with wild yeast, 80% oak, 20% stainless steel; 0% malolactic fermentation.

Cooperage
14 months in 75% new oak barrels, of which 85% are French (Allier, Vosage) and 15% are American oak (Missouri). The overall barrel regime includes 25% stainless steel barrels.

Alcohol
14.9%

Cases Produced
5,500

Suggested California Retail
$48