2008 Poseidon Vineyard "Boon Fly's Hill" Chardonnay
PHILOSOPHY
We continue to charge down a winemaking path that shows no clemency to the esoteric palate. Not subtle, not restrained, this wine style does not demand intellectualism. Not even rationalism. This wine discourages contemplative introspection. This is a wine that favors the lusty embrace of a hedonist.
TASTING NOTES
White peach and white flowers (tuberose, jasmine, and lily) are lifted by distinct and bright lemon and apple. There is a syrupy character, like the glaze on a fruit tart, and the buttery crust aromas—from the barrel and malo-lactic fermentation—are very appealing. Very good natural acidity corrals the flavors and enlivens the palate.
HISTORY
Planted originally in 1973 by the Molnar Family and more recently again due to the ravages of phylloxera, this bump of a hill looks over the Napa Valley Marina, our immediate neighbors in the deep south of Carneros. Masts from the hauled-out boats cast shadows on the vines — we are that close. But the real story here is the legendary Boon Fly, whose house of 16 fireplaces stood a century ago atop our Pinot Noir vineyard Primo’s Hill, as it is he who is buried here on his hill.
VINTAGE
This was the second year of what would turn out to be a three-year dry spell. The drought conditions limited green growth on the vines as they hunkered down. The growing season, which began with frost concerns, progressed to a summer of few heat spikes. September brought on the usual blast of dry heat marked by a reversal of the winds as they swung around to the northeast, but the grapes prevailed and enjoyed another three weeks of gently foggy mornings before a slightly late harvest.
Michael Blaise Terrien, Founding Winemaker