Anarchist Mountain Dekleva Chardonnay 2020

Winemaker Notes

The 2020 vintage was the best vintage in recent years comparable to the excellent 2016 season. Spring saw a typical budburst in early May with beautiful weather into June. Flowering was hindered due to above average rainfall during late June which reduced yields across the valley. Although there were forest fires in the area and across the border in Washington and Oregon, the smoke was not a significant factor during the warm July and August months. Leading up to harvest, the weather was perfect for ripening with warm days and cool nights for a lengthy hang time in our Pinot Noir blocks to develop flavours and physiological ripeness. With the white varieties, we were able to harvest near normal parameters with great balance of sugars to acid and superb flavours. 

Vineyard Notes

Production Notes

At the winery the fruit was fed directly into the press with an ensuing long gentle pressing employed. Only the finest, purest juice from the early stages of the pressing was used for this wine with the more astringent so called “hard press” kept separate. A long cool fermentation began in stainless steel vessels employing indigenous yeast, where it remained for most of the ferment. The must was then transferred to 100% French oak (25% new) to complete fermentation. The wine was left “sur lees” for 11 months without battonage. A natural malolactic fermentation occurred in late spring. In keeping with our philosophy to maintain as much as possible a hands-off approach in the cellar to allow the true expression of the terroir this wine is unfined and coarsely filtered.