cabernet sauvignon :: chardonnay :: merlot :: pinot grigio

 2005 California
 

Pale yellow-straw color; fragrant floral, pear and stone-fruit aromas with fresh, lively flavors that are smooth, round and refreshing on the palate. Think of it as the girl next door in a glass. Well, maybe not, but you get the idea.

VINTAGE 2005
First it was warm (late winter), then it was cool and rainy (spring), then it was still cool (summer), then it finally got warm (late September), then we lucked out and had a classic California Indian Summer (October). Net-net? The grapes hung out on the vine for a really long time, which resulted in very concentrated flavors. The 2005 wines have it all - intensity, balance and persistence - which suggests they could also be Russian gymnasts.

VINEYARDS
The grapes came primarily from the Lodi region, which has absolutely nothing in common with Italy except for producing great Pinot Grigio grapes grown by grizzled old guys who look like they should be nursing espressos and playing bocce ball.

WINEMAKING
We night-harvested the fruit to maximize its freshness, then pressed it directly to stainless steel tanks, where it chilled out for 12-24 hours. Then we cool-fermented the clear, cold juice to extract every oodle of freshness and purity. (It's a Yankee Oodle Dandy!) This Pinot Grigio never saw oak, never even dreamt about oak, because oaky Pinot Grigio is, well, just plain wrong! However, we did blend in some Chardonnay for added richness, then expeditiously bottled the wine, so it would reach you as fresh, plump and wholesome as the girl next door. (Fear not, we're done with the girl-next-door metaphor.)

2005 Pinot Grigio