Far Mountain 'Myrna' Chardonnay 2020
The Far Mountain 'Myrna' Chardonnay comes from the Bald Mountain Vineyard, a site nestled into the second-highest peak in the Mayacamas mountains, at around 550 metres above sea level. Planted in 1972, the vines lie in a cool bowl at the bottom of the site and, unusually, are planted with heritage California clones and rootstock. They are dry farmed, which allows the vines to thrive in poor, fractured soils and results in a distinct saline character in the wine. At the winery, the grapes were whole cluster pressed at fractional pressures, collected separately and left to settle for 24-36 hours. The objective was to expose the must to oxygen at this stage, for elements prone to oxidation to drop out, and to have multiple pressings to follow through the ageing process. The must was then transferred to barrels, 18% of which were new and the remaining between one and four-years-old. It remained on the lees throughout the one-year ageing period, with regular stirring taking place in the early stages that reduced to once a month towards the end. Malolactic conversion was allowed for just 30% of the wine to add just the right amount of texture whilst retaining the Chardonnay’s primary fruit characters. The Far Mountain 'Myrna' Chardonnay combines the delicate floral characters of Bald Mountain with ripe yellow and exotic fruits, as well as salty, lime and green fruit-inflected notes. The name means 'beloved' in Latin, as it is such a passion project for Mai. The sappy texture of the wine makes its presence felt, and this grows into a more defined and powerful structure with layers of spice and a beautiful clear lift that persist through the finish.
