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2007 Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard, Dijon clone Release Date: 3/1/2009 Retail Price $: 22.00 Availability: 288 cases Production Notes Freedom Hill Vineyard is located in the foothills of the coast range 10 miles southwest of Salem, Oregon. The Chardonnay block has a southeast exposure at an elevation of 350' and benefits from heat rising off the valley floor. Hills to the east protect the vines from strong coastal winds. Planted in 1982 on well drained silty clay loam, the Chardonnay vines were grafted to Dijon clone 76 in 1998. Dijon clones of Chardonnay ripen fully in Oregon's cool climate and are picked at the same time as Pinot noir. The grapes were whole cluster pressed. After settling, the juice was barrel fermented using three yeasts. The wine finished malolactic fermentation and was aged sur lees for twelve months entirely in used French oak barrels. Crop Level 2.2 tons/acre Harvest 10/5/07 Bottled November 2008 This Dijon clone Chardonnay's flavors and texture will complement foods with rich flavors. It will benefit from up to 5 years of bottle age. Mark Vlossak, winemaker Winemaker Notes Eight years ago, we began replanting the 108 clone of Chardonnay originally planted in Oregon with French 'Dijon' clones. Experimental wines had been made in Oregon from these clones in the 1980's. I believed they would produce wines with fully ripened fruit and also have the rich textures found in white Burgundies. Since 1999, all of St. Innocent's Chardonnay vines are producing fruit exclusively from the Dijon clones. I am now convinced that the results were worth the huge effort it required. The Freedom Hill Dijon clone Chardonnays are Meursault-like: darker fruit with a stony minerality and rich textures in the mouth. The Seven Springs Dijon clone Chardonnays have a Puligny-like character: sweet fruit and spice with great length. They are both a huge qualitative improvement over the old clones. I struggled with the specific style for Freedom Hill Chardonnay until my visit to Burgundy and Chablis in 2003. There I tasted a grand cru Chablis fermented entirely in used barrels. The ripe fruit and intense minerality balanced perfectly with the lees component and textural enhancement derived from barrel fermentation. The lack of sweet, toasty components from the new wood meant that the minerality was able to show clearly in the wine. I finally feel that I have captured the terroir of Freedom Hill. We have decided to increase production of this wine. In 2006 we planted 3 additional acres and 3 more in 2007. Total production will increase to 1100 cases by 2012. Tasting Notes The 2007 growing season ended with a cool fall that extended the ripening phase and produced well fruited and complex white wines. All of the 2007 whites are exceptional. The 2007 Freedom Hill Chardonnay has an enormous nose of white and yellow fruits, spice, orange blossom and stones that remind me of granite and marble. It enters your mouth with intense yellow fruit flavors reminiscent of peach compote and more spices. The texture is mouth filling, viscous and lingers into an extended finish. Richly layered, with complex flavors in the mid-palate and finish, it reminds me a cross between well made Maconais and Chablis in a ripe vintage. Match this wine with shellfish, roasted birds, and cheeses. Drinkable at release, it will develop over 8 years. Back to top of page