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<h1>Villa Mt. Eden 2006 Grand Reserve Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay -- Villa Mt. Eden Shopping Cart</h1>
<b>$15.00</b>
-- <i>"Sweet honeyed pear and floral apple aromas abound in this effusive Chardonnay. Ripe fruit flavors and a creamy sweetness ascend toward a caramel richness, as a bright green-apple zestiness alters the finish with a lingering crispness."</i>
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<img src="https://store.nexternal.com/villa/images/VME-bottle-100-chard.gif" align="right" alt="Villa Mt. Eden 2006 Grand Reserve Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay" name="Villa Mt. Eden 2006 Grand Reserve Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay" border="0" hspace="10" />
<b>Tasting Notes<br /></b>“Sweet honeyed pear and floral apple aromas abound in this effusive Chardonnay. Ripe fruit flavors and a creamy sweetness ascend toward a caramel richness, as a bright green-apple zestiness alters the finish with a lingering crispness.”<br /><i>– Mike McGrath, Winemaker</i><b><br /><br />Winemaking<br /></b>• Hand-picked grapes were whole-cluster pressed to preserve intense, ripe flavors.<br />• Fermented in French/European oak barrels (33% new) with medium heavy toast.<br />• Malolatic fermentation (30%) partially softened the acid profile, while enhancing creamy, caramel elements.<br />• Nine months of barrel aging sur lie with regular stirring integrated the oak and fruit flavors.<b><br /><br />Vineyards<br /></b>• 2006 began with more than 12 inches of rainfall in winter and early spring. A cold February delayed bud break, but the wet spring extended into May, which created an ideal environment for latent Botrytis spores. Fortunately a dry warmer June through harvest ensued, thus mitigating the Botrytis<br />influence.<br />• Slightly above average temperatures in July accelerated berry softening, but the standard cooling trend prevailed into the summer months. Autumn eve we began harvesting Chardonnay at Bien Nacido with ripe flavors and stellar acids.<br />• At harvest, Chardonnay grapes had wonderful aromatics due to the extended hang time on the vine.<br />• Bien Nacido Vineyard has been the source for the Grand Reserve Chardonnay since 1992.<br />• The Santa Maria Valley runs east to west and opens toward the Pacific Ocean, resulting in cool evening temperatures – ideal for maintaining Chardonnay fruit’s crisp acids.<br />• The site’s Pacific Ocean breezes, moderate temperatures and long growing season allow Chardonnay grapes to develop concentrated aromas and flavors, while retaining crisp acidity.<b><br /></b></p>
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<li>Item Number: 17790</li>
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