All plants require water to grow, and grapevines are no exception. The 2021 growing season was our driest yet. The Maggy Hawk vineyard relies on rainfall in the winter and spring to fill our vineyard ponds to irrigate our vines during the summer months. These ponds ran dry a few weeks before harvest began. Fortunately, the grapes made it across the finish line without being affected by the drought. We typically harvest over 2-3 weeks. In 2021, everything was ready at once, and we harvested in just one and a half weeks. The clusters had a shorter ripening period and were harvested on the earlier side, which produced wines with intense hues, great acidity, and concentrated aromas and flavors.

WINEMAKING

Our 2021 Skycrest Vineyard 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, foot tread clusters, and allowed between 2-4 hours of skin contact with the juice before
loading the bins into the press. After pressing, the Chardonnay was sent to barrel to ferment via multiple yeast strains, with a small
portion going to stainless steel tank. Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally, which allowed the wine to develop at a slow and
steady pace. The wine was then left to age, without stirring, in a blend of French and Austrian oak barrels for 16 months before bottling.

TASTING NOTES

The 2021 Skycrest Vineyard Chardonnay offers aromas of roasted sunflower seeds, sea salt caramel, chamomile, and white pepper. The
palate bursts with bright acidity and runs all the way through an extended finish, with flavors of lemon preserves, cardamom, nutmeg,
grapefruit, and citrus blossom along the way.