HARVEST NOTES

For many winemakers, the 2020 vintage was one that they’d like to forget- as the fires that plagued Northern California just before harvest either prevented the picks altogether, or the resulting wines were heavily smoke affected. Luckily, Anderson Valley was untouched by the fires and smoke, and the Maggy Hawk wines from this vintage are quite exceptional. Rainfall during the growing season was low, and yields were smaller as well, resulting in another year of bright and concentrated wines. The Maggy Hawk Pinot Noir blocks were individually hand-harvested in the early morning between September 7th and September 10th.

WINEMAKING

Our 2020 Chardonnay was harvested at night to keep the fruit cold when it arrived at the winery. The clusters were perfect, so we bypassed the sorting line and went through a traditional foot treading before being loaded into the press. After pressing the Chardonnay was sent to barrel to ferment with multiple yeast strains with a small portion going to stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally which allowed the wine to develop at a slow and steady pace. The wine was then left to age in a blend of French and Austrian oak barrels for 16 months before bottling.

TASTING NOTES

The 2020 Skycrest Vineyard Chardonnay offers fresh Meyer lemon, quince and pear fruit notes alongside subtle sea spray and white lily. A note of flint minerality runs through the palate balancing the wine along with a bright focused acidity that highlights the incredible texture and produces an exceptionally long finish.