Bethel Heights Chardonnay
takes its inspiration from Burgundy with its similar cool climate, rather than from California. Our focus is on complex fruit flavors balanced by crisp acidity and a restrained use of oak.

Our greatest Chardonnay asset at Bethel Heights is our 22-year-old vines. Fourteen acres of Chardonnay were planted at Bethel Heights between 1977 and 1979, on their own roots, on four different slopes. Those roots have now reached down to the mother rocks under our soils, giving the wines a richness and complexity that we did not see in earlier years. This has made us reluctant to replace our old California clones (Wente and 108) too hastily with the new earlier ripening Dijon clones. A cautious beginning was made with two acres of Dijon clone 76 planted in 1994.

The 1999 Estate Chardonnay is a blend of 10% Dijon clone 76, 35% Wente clone, 55% clone 108.

Dates picked: October 22 - November 2, 1999
Grapes at harvest: Brix : 23-24, pH: 3.2, TA: 7.2 gr./liter
Finished wine: Alcohol 13.8 %, pH: 3.41, TA: 6.0 gr/Liter
1350 Cases produced, bottled August 2000
Suggested retail $15

The 1999 vintage: An extremely late bloom brought on by cold rainy weather throughout the spring and early summer encouraged us to thin the crop severely to one cluster per shoot. The hallmark of the vintage wasa near perfect Fall which allowed us to ripen the Chardonnay until early November. This is perhaps the best Chardonnay vintage we have seen at Bethel Heights.

Winemaker notes: The fruit was pressed without crushing, barrrel fermented in French oak, 30% new, aged on the lees in barrel until malolactic fermentation was complete, and bottled in late summer. This is a fuit driven wine with a blend of ripe apple, pear, and peach flavors. Silky-textured, beautifully balanced, with well-integrated toasty oak and a long finish.

Food recommendations: With its crisp fuit and restrained use of oak, this is an essentially food-friendly Chardonnay. It plays especially well with buttery sauces and dishes with a citrus component. A perfect match , discovered at a winemaker dinner at Oregon's renowned Steamboat Inn, was a rich, creamy Butternut squash soup.