Complex and elegant with lush tiers of tropical fruit, pear and citrus, our 1996 Carneros Chardonnay reflects the distinctive terroir of the Carneros District. We immediately pressed the grapes on-site in our Carneros vineyards to retain the maximum fruitiness and balance in the wine. The juice was entirely fermented in small French oak barrels. During the long in-barrel malo-lactic fermentation, we stirred the wine (batonage) to integrate and soften flavors. The wine aged on the yeast (sur lie) in small French oak barrels for ten months to mature flavors and enhance the lingering finish with warm vanilla and spice nuances. Barrel-to-barrel racking and a light fining gently clarified the wine. To fully retain this Chardonnays brilliant character and complexity, we bottled it without filtration.