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2018 UV Vineyard Chardonnay
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105 Cases Produced
James Suckling
95
"The inaugural release of our staunchly Sonoma County Chardonnay made with fruit from Ulises Valdez's impeccable vineyard and crafted with a tip-of-its-hat to Premier Cru White Burgundy. Viscose focused and mineral-taut, this wine is everything we hoped it would be, and more!" Cristie Kerr
Tasting Notes
Pale straw in color with glinting yellow hues. The bouquet is striking, full of lemon curd, mandarin, and white peach aromas over a backdrop of ground almond and struck flint. In the mouth, there's an impressive viscosity that brings together the mouthwatering juiciness and almost quartz-like mineral edge. Superb length on the zesty, finely-polished finish. Drinking beautifully now and through to 2024. We'd recommend serving this Chardonnay at 66°F/19°C, ideally decanted and enjoyed in a large white Burgundy glass!*
Blend
100% Chardonnay sourced from UV Vineyard
AVA
100% malolactic fermentation
Aged
18 months on lees in French oak barrels (33% new), bottled unfiltered and unfined
Alcohol %
14.2
Winemaker
Helen Keplinger
Winemaker Notes
Whole Cluster Pressed
Harvest Date
Hand-picked fruit, harvested at 4am on 9/21/18
Agro Ad Amphorum
Latin Translation: From Soil to Bottle
The beauty of the UV vineyard lies in its layered subsoils. Free draining sand is interspersed with compacted clay, which allows the vines to dig their roots down into the earth during the hot dry summer months and find pockets of reserved water. This helps the grapes avoid heat stress while allowing them to ripen fully, giving the wine richness and complexity.
With such well-tended fruit and ripe, Helen Keplinger was keen to have the grapes harvested in the cool of night to capture all their freshness and balance. Picking was carried out at 4 am – the coolest part of the day – with the grapes taken quickly to the winery to retain their acid structure. With 100% malolactic fermentation and lees-aging in premium French barrels (33% new oak), this wine is a beautiful expression of both its physical and spiritual origins.
Philosophy
The late, legendary Sonoma County vigneron Ulises Valdez (from whose family we source all our Burgundian fruit) planted his 'UV' vineyard on the Aubert estate in 2001. With its unique sand-and-clay soils, the vineyard produces incredible Chardonnay, which Cristie and Helen had been wanting to work with since the very beginning of Kerr Cellars. When it comes to food pairings, we can't help but look to Burgundy for this wine. Think the buttery decadence of sole meunière, lobster in cream sauce, and roasted poulet de Bresse or Guinea fowl.
