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2003 La Famiglia
Pinot Grigio Region/Origin: California Residual Sugar: 0.05% Total Acid: 0.55% Alcohol: 13.5% Final pH: 3.3 Winemaker's Notes“I’m incredibly proud of our first release of Monterey appellation Pinot Grigio,” said Winemaker Scott Kelley. “We’ve grown Pinot Grigio everywhere, from Mendocino to Santa Maria Counties, from Sonoma to the Sierra Foothills. Nothing compares to Monterey County. Our 2003 Pinot Grigio is Italian in style with abundant California ripe fruit expression. It has classic Italian mineral character, which I attribute to the river rock and gravel soils of the vineyards around Arroyo Seco in Monterey County.” This vintage of Pinot Grigio has excellent weight and complexity on the palate, with generous fruit character – apple, citrus and lemon zest – woven with mineral, floral and spice nuances. The crisp, dry flavors culminate with a burst of tangerine in the finish. This wine begs to be paired with oysters or sushi. VintageWhat a great year for Pinot Grigio! Unusually cold nights during the 2003 growing season retained outstanding acidity in Pinot Grigio grapes, while warm days developed ripe, lush flavors. It was a year full of surprises; we were never sure what the next day’s weather would bring. Warm late winter temperatures promoted early vine growth, with budbreak beginning in late January. Temperatures continued unseasonably warm until April, when the weather turned cold. Cold, wet weather continued through most of May. Summer temperatures vacillated from cool to very warm, but settled down as harvest approached, fostering optimum maturity. Despite the punctuations of cold periods, the 2003 growing season was the warmest since 1997. This year of anomalies produced exceptional Pinot Grigio grapes. We harvested Monterey County Pinot Grigio from September 3 to 25. VineyardMonterey County, midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, lies along the long, fertile Salinas Valley that begins at Monterey Bay and runs southward toward San Luis Obispo. Salinas Valley has an enormous “upside down” underground river – one of only a few major rivers in the world that flows south to north. The rich valley floor is planted to row crops, while grape growers covet the less fertile, well-draining benchlands and hillsides. Our favorite Pinot Grigio vineyards lie on the alluvial fan at the mouth of the Arroyo Seco -- a seasonal river canyon that empties into the valley -- and in the Santa Lucia Highlands. These vineyards in the western hills have gravelly, sandy soils and marine-influenced climates that foster lush, complex flavors and crisp balance in Pinot Grigio grapes. Fermentation & Aging We harvested the grapes when they were still cold from the night fog. It is imperative to gently press Pinot Grigio grapes immediately after harvesting, so minimal color is extracted from the coppery-colored skins. We cold-fermented the juice slowly at 55° for 20-25 days, until all the sugar was converted into alcohol by the yeast. Then we aged the wine on the yeast, with weekly stirrings, to integrate flavors and increase the silky, creamy texture. To retain the wine’s fresh, crisp character, we did not have the wine undergo malolactic fermentation or barrel aging. |
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La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi > Our Wines > Wine Description > Winemaker's Notes | |
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