B. Kosuge Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2014
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I have made a few other adjustments to my Chardonnay winemaking over the last few years: more stirring of the barrels during the early part of aging. More solids in the juice that goes to barrel for fermentation. A bit of skin contact prior to pressing. All these things are meant to capture more of what is indigenous to the grape and the vineyard. As usual, no added yeast or bacteria or other additives are used. Trying to be as “low tech” as I can.
2014 was a very good year for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Sonoma Coast. I especially like the combination of generosity and energy that the wines have. The Chardonnay is racy, shows only a hint of oak, has lovely, pure aromatics. Smells like the grape, not what was done to it. I bottled it in June of 2015 and it’s just begun coming out of its shell. Should be an excellent partner to all manner of “white wine” fare, and pretty good on its own too.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.