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From our home site McLean Creek Road Vineyard planted in 1994. The 2023 Micro Cuvée Chardonnay was aged for 11 months in 100% French oak barrels (33% new). We produced only 160 cases.
The 2023 growing season was an interesting one that really started in early November 2022 when we had an abrupt shift from late summer to winter. Followed up by extremely cold temperatures in December, we wentinto 2023 with some apprehension. While our Pinot Noir seemed to fare quite well, our Chardonnay was significantly down. Bud break happened at a normal time for our vineyards in early May, after which weexperienced a strong growth period. By early June, vine growth was quite advanced, and we were ahead of a typical season; flowering was three weeks ahead of the previous year and veraison began the last week of July.We prepared for an early harvest, which began on September 5th. While our crop was light, the quality was exceptional, and the flavours and acid balance were excellent, some of the best we’ve had here at Meyer.
Our family owned “McLean Creek Road Vineyard” was originally planted in 1994. The vineyard is within the Okanagan Falls sub-geographical indication (sub-Gi) which was designated in 2018 and recognized as beinggeologically unique in the production of wine grapes. It has a predominantly steep southerly aspect with the soil comprised of alluvial and glacial deposits making up a mix of gravel and sandy loams. The Chardonnay isplanted in two separate blocks, one on the far east side of the south facing slope and the other on the west end of the slope. The variation of east and west leads to differences in flavour development and in turn more complexity in the finished wine. We practice sustainable farming principles.
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 socalled “hard press” kept separate. A long, cool fermentation began in stainless steel vessels where it remained for most of the ferment. The must was then transferred to 100% French oak (33% new). The wine was left “surlees” for 11 months without battonage. A natural malolactic fermentation occurred in late spring. For the Micro Cuvée we individually tasted and selected puncheons that make up the most harmonious cuvee. In keepingwith our philosophy to maintain, as much as possible, a hands-off approach in the cellar to allow the true expression of terroir, this wine is unfined and coarsely filtered.
