Anarchist Mountain Dekleva Chardonnay 2022

Vineyard Notes

The 2022 vintage was a classic Okanagan growing season with a typical Spring budburst in early May and beautiful weather into June. We had beautiful flowering weather from late June into July which resulted in good yields across the valley. July and August were consistent with previous years although slightly cooler slowing the vines growth cycle. Leading up to harvest, the crop level was significantly higher compared to past vintages and needed more time to ripen. The weather was perfect for ripening with warm days and cool nights providing a lengthy hang time for our Pinot Noir blocks to develop flavours and physiological ripeness. The white varieties were harvested later than normal but the fruit was able to develop a great balance of sugars to acid and superb flavours.

Anarchist Mountain Vineyard, previously home to JAK's sister Terry Meyer Stone & her partner Andrew Stone, looks over the town of Osoyoos, BC. This vineyard is the highest elevation vineyard in Osoyoos at 518m and has a westerly aspect with silt soil over clay loam. Anthony Dekleva planted a mysterious unknown Chardonnay clone in 1985 which is now known as the Dekleva Clone. The property is irrigated by a cave that serves as a reservoir which Dekleva, miner by trade, blasted into the side of the mountain.

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 (33% 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.