The pretty flavors are dominated by quince and Bosc pear with nuances of beeswax, marjoram and gardenia adding intrigue and a lovely minerality persisting throughout.  A pleasing tension between viscosity and acidity plays out on the palate with the bright acidity emerging triumphant.  This flavorful, fresh, balanced wine represents everything we are aiming for in chardonnay here at Pride Mountain Vineyards.  

Our intent in winemaking is to respect the elegance of this delicate grape varietal.  A gentle approach is taken from start to finish, beginning with hand harvesting at night. The cold clusters are then loaded directly into the press without destemming, where a long, slow press cycle is done using very low pressure. After cold-settling under inert gas, the juice is racked to French oak barrels, 10% new, for fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is initiated in all barrels and arrested when acid balance is reached and lees stirring is done for several months prior to blending and bottling.