The Cliff Notes: The color of pale straw in glass, this wine gives up hazelnut, lemon curd and honey on the nose. Earth, yellow grapefruit, Smarties and slightly green floral (daisy, Pinesol, hay) display on the palate. Good weight emulating the lemon/honey/bourbon of a hot toddy is driven home by prominent acidity and an ever-so-slight spritz for freshness … and lucidity.

Cases Produced: 88 cases

Fermentation: 100% Chardonnay, whole cluster pressed and barrel fermented in an old-world oxidative style. By using a long, slow, low-temperature, wild-yeast, barrel fermentation regimen we are able to promote vineyard characters and preserve fleeting fruit esters.

Elevage: 100% barrel aged in older French oak barrels with a regimen of yeast/sediment stirring to promote roundness of the mid-palate. Racked and filtered prior to bottling in March 2011.

A Story: 2009 was a warm growing year in Oregon, leading to ultimate ripeness. It also meant you had better pull in those reins, if you didn’t want overripe and boozy. We picked early to maintain the freshness and then held it long in barrel to drive the earth and brioche characters that come from yeasts as they get old and creaky.

Alcohol: 13.75%

pH: 3.32

Vineyards: This wine is from a single vineyard: Temperance Hill’s high and late-harvested southeastern shoulder in the Eola Hills.