The coastal climate of the Casablanca Valley features morning fog that burns off by midday, hot afternoons, and soft ocean breezes in the early evening, which produce very cool nights throughout the growing season. The marked difference in daytime and nighttime temperatures favors the development of the characteristic aromas of the Chardonnay variety.
Soil:
The vineyard is planted on a gentle slope featuring well-drained sandy clay-loam soils.
Harvest date:
31st March, 2004
Harvest:
The grapes were hand-picked into half-ton bins, with a careful selection of only the ripe clusters on each plant. Harvest took place in the cool early morning hours, to protect the fresh fruit characters.
Winemaking:
The cool fruit was gently crushed and destemmed and then given 12 hours of prefermentation maceration at 10ºC. We undertook a careful pressing aimed at preventing oxidation, with frequent tasting to separate the press lots. Alcoholic fermentation occurred in both new French oak barrels (30% of the blend) and stainless steel tanks (70%).
Malolactic fermentation was completed in 100% of the lots. A portion of the wine (30%) was aged in new French oak barrels for ten months.
