Clos LaChance Vanumanutagi Chardonnay 2002

Vanumanutagi is a Samoan word, meaning "valley of the singing birds." Owner Fanny Stevenson, writer Robert Louis Stevenson's widow, named the property when she acquired it in 1900. Mr. Stevenson had recently passed away, spending the last years of his life with his family in Samoa. Mrs. Stevenson lived at the Ranch off and on until her passing in 1914. The property remained in the hands of the Stevenson family for the next 50 years or so. Current owner Leo Ware purchased the Ranch in 1969. 9.2 acres of grapevines were planted on Vanumanutagi Ranch during the spring of 1981. Each of the vineyard blocks is named for a different Robert Louis Stevenson novel, including Treasure Island, Jekkyl and Hyde, and Kidnapped.

Tasting Note
Continuing with the hedonistic side of the Chardonnay variety, this wine balances power with elegance. The vanilla, toffee, cinnamon and caramel flavors from the oak provide a powerful framework that the lime, lemon and tropical fruit aromas can hang from. The weighty, oily mouthfeel is lusher than most Santa Cruz Mountains chards. The creamy finish lingers with coconut, pineapple and cedar.