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2017 Mother of Pearl Chardonnay

Wine Specs

Vintage

2017

Varietal

Chardonnay

Appellation

Fort Ross-Seaview

Harvest Date

September 10—14, 2017

Aging

15 months in 100% French oak

Bottling Date

December 2018

Wine Enthusiast

Wine & Spirits

Wine Advocate

From our mountain vineyard that overlooks the Sonoma Coast in the Fort Ross-Seaview American Viticultural Area, Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery produces limited quantities of single vineyard, Estate grown, cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinotage. With spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean less than one mile away, the vineyard is divided into 32 separate blocks, one-half to two acres in size, that range in elevation from 1700 down to 1200 feet above sea level. Owners, Lester and Linda Schwartz with their small crew began preparing the 52 acre vineyard in 1994. It took them 4 years of preparation before they could begin planting. The year 2000 marked the first vintage from the Fort Ross Vineyard.

95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
As with all of these releases, the 2017 Chardonnay Mother Of Pearl comes all from the estate vineyard in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA of the Sonoma Coast. Aged 15 months in 25% new French oak, it offers a Meursault-like bouquet of caramelized stone fruits, brioche, toasted almonds, and a touch of flinty minerality. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it's a stunning Chardonnay from winemaker Jeff Pisoni that does everything right.

93 Points - Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay Estate Mother of Pearl has pretty scents of white peaches and quince with layers of almond, spring honey and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers savory fruits with tangy freshness and a long, nuanced finish.

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Winemaker Jeff Pisoni works magic in this crisp, floral and stony white from the Fort Ross Vineyard estate in view of the Pacific Ocean. Melon, apricot and pear flavors present strongly around hints of white tea and jasmine, the texture elegantly layered and composed. Virginie Boone

92 Points - James Suckling
This has a deep, golden hue and plenty of savory character with grilled almonds and a lemon-oil edge. The palate holds plenty of freshness with ripe and quite weighty peach flavor that carries good depth. Drink or hold. September 2019.

91 Points - Wine & Spirits Magazine
Jeff Pisoni makes this wine from the highest parcels of chardonnay in the Fort Ross Vineyard. It carries the spice of a French oak-barrel fermentation, with notes of black tea and buttercups. Round and substantial, this has the fat of a scallop in its peach-and-pear scented fruit, a wine to pour with pasta and scallops dressed in buttery herbs. —J.G.

Wine Profile

Vineyard Notes

The 2017 growing season welcomed generous rainfall for the first several months of the year. After five drought years the soils were hydrated and our irrigation pond was brimming. Bud-break occurred in mid-March followed by a warmer than usual spring which brought an early fruit-set, fortunately, by then the rains had subsided. The summer enjoyed mild to average, 80-85° temperatures, allowing the grapes to develop ideal complexity and flavors with optimal development. During the first week of September, all of California experienced a heat spike, with this the first few blocks were harvested. Temperatures then mellowed during the remainder of harvest, allowing each variety to be picked at the ideal time. Pinot Noir was unhurriedly harvested between August 31–September 19, one of the many advantages of growing grapes overlooking the cool Pacific Ocean. Chardonnay was picked September 10–14 and finally the slower ripening Pinotage on October 3rd. Fortunately, all of our fruit was picked prior to the heartbreaking 2017 Sonoma fires. The vintage brought in lower yields, producing wines with great depth and concentration, while the hydrated soils delivered vibrant aromatics and acidity.

Production Notes

Bottled unfined & unfiltered

Winemaker Notes

Mother of Pearl, with its captivating, lustrous iridescent facets, inspired the naming of this Chardonnay made from grapes grown on the highest Fort Ross Vineyard Chardonnay blocks. These grapes were handpicked during the cool hours of the night in small two-gallon picking trays then hand sorted in the vineyard and gently whole cluster pressed at the winery. After pressing, the juice was put into barrels and underwent primary and malolactic fermentation in a combination of 25% new and 75% neutral French oak. This wine is comprised of small berried old Hyde field selection chosen for its richness with a sleek structure and small berried old Wente for its luscious fruit and grace. These heritage field selections have full, complex flavors that are intensified by the small size of both the bunches and the berries.

Production

266 cases produced

Other Notes

WINEMAKER: Jeff Pisoni