2018 Hope Well Vineyard Chardonnay

Hope Well Wine is a project of Mimi Casteel, a member of the Bethel Heights Casteel family.  You can learn more about her project here:  https://www.hopewellwine.com

Harvested September 18, 2018
100% Chardonnay
100% organically farmed
Whole cluster pressed
No commercial yeasts or bacteria were used
20% new french oak
Alcohol 12.5%, pH 3.46, TA 6.4 g/L
250 six-bottle cases produced
Bottled July 23, 2019

Winemaker notes:  

Managing to make it through another drought year with the power to cross the finish line with nuance and finesse felt very gratifying.  As warm as 2018 began, we were granted reprieve by reliably cool nights, and while the drought persisted, the ongoing improvements in soil water retention due to years of increasing diversity and feeding soil were appreciated by all the life at Hope Well. Tasting grapes as September grew old it was clear that the message of the vintage was a powerful one.

Pressed cold, the juice went to tank for one day, then straight to barrel with all but the green lees, and fermented cooler and more slowly than the 2017. The result is a definitive aromatic expression and nuance of flavors that ramp up the excitement for the years to come.