Each of our single-vineyard Chardonnays is vinified in the same manner to highlight the unique expression of terroir.
Vinification
The story of
Chardonnay
Viticulture
GREAT WINE STARTS IN THE VINEYARDS. Five different vineyard sites, five different locations, each an expression of their soil and mesoclimate. At CheckMate, everything is tended to by hand: all the canopy management, leaf-pulling and cluster-thinning is done manually to ensure precision and gentleness.
The Chardonnay clusters arrive at the winery in small picking containers, where each bunch is inspected and hand sorted. The whole bunches are then taken directly to be gently pressed.
Hand Sorted
Here a small battle occurs, as the naturally occurring strains of indigenous yeasts battle for supremacy during the fermenting process. These competing yeasts give the wines layers of texture and nuance. Malolactic fermentation gradually softens the wines during extended cellaring in oak.
Wild Fermentation
A prescribed regimen of bâtonnage, the periodic stirring of the lees in the barrel, serves to add texture and mouthfeel.
Bâtonnage
Finally, the finished wine goes to bottle - unfined and unfiltered to maintain the most complete expression of Chardonnay and terroir.
