2005 Rosella's Vineyard Chardonnay

We prize the Rosella's Vineyard for its consistently excellent quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fruit.

Rosella's Vineyard
Rosella's Vineyard, farmed by Gary Franscioni and his wife Rosella, has provided both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to the winery for a number of years.

Located about three miles south of Morgan's Double L Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Rosella's is planted to several Dijon clones, and is one of the top vineyards of the appellation. The site is a bit warmer than Double L. Rosella's Vineyard is planted with a density of 1089 plants per acre. The 2006 vintage is Morgan's seventh bottling of Rosella's Vineyard Pinot Noir. The vineyard was planted in 1996.

The Vintage
The 2005 vintage was a cool year with a late harvest. The chardonnay harvest starting in mid-October and finished on November 2nd. The long growing season produced exceptional quality, finely detailed fruit with plenty of balancing acidity.

Vinification and Aging
After whole cluster pressing, the wine is 100% barrel fermented in 30% new Burgundy barrels using Montrachet yeasts. Seventy-five percent of the wine underwent malo-lactic fermentation. The wine is aged ten months on the lees with monthly stirrings, with bottling in August of 2006. Clonal selections are approximately equal proportions of Dijon clones 76, 95, and 96.

Tasting Notes
The nose shows passionfruit, orange, nuts, and vanilla along with a hint of mineral, toast, and lime. On the palate, the wine also shows a creaminess and minerality, along with tangerine and lime. Though richly flavored and moderately viscous on the palate, the wine’s elements are in good balance and showcase the region’s ability to produce not only balanced wine, but wines with a seamless integration of flavors.