2006 Eloquence Late Harvest Chardonnay

The grapes for the 2006 vintage of Eloquence Late Harvest Chardonnay come exclusively from Raymond’s Napa Valley estate vineyard in Jameson Canyon and the Monterey County estate vineyard. The Napa Valley vineyards provide the perfect conditions for botrytis cinerea, “the noble rot” which is responsible for some of the world’s greatest dessert wines. The Jameson Canyon vineyard’s canopy grows denser and fog lingers longer than some other parts of the Napa Valley, creating the humid environment needed to naturally produce a late harvest wine. The Monterey County vineyards are located just inland from the Monterey Bay receiving warm sunny afternoons followed by foggy nights, creating a similar environment to the Jameson Canyon vineyard. The 2006 growing season was marked by mild spring and summer weather extending ripening periods by several weeks. The Napa grapes were picked on November 26th and the Monterey grapes were picked on December 5th.

In order to produce a late harvest wine that balances sweetness with natural acidity, grapes were selected in the two vineyards and then hand sorted at the winery, looking for those grapes with pure botrytis in the fruit. After final selection, the grapes were gently pressed over several hours. After pressing, the two lots underwent a very slow fermentation over six weeks at a low temperature, and was then held in stainless steel tanks until bottling.

This luscious wine will pair perfectly with warm peach or nectarine cobbler topped with vanilla bean ice cream, pear or apple tart, grilled peaches with brown sugar and whipped cream, vanilla and raisin bread pudding, pineapple upside down cake or a cheese tray accompanied by dried fruits and nuts. Eloquence can be served chilled or at room temperature.

600 cases