1996 Cotes d' Oakley- Vin Blanc Cline Cellars
1996 Cotes d' Oakley
Vin Blanc
Contra Costa County

Technical Notes
1996 Cotes d' Oakley-Vin Blanc
Contra Costa County
HARVEST DATE: September thru October 1996
MEAN BRIX AT HARVEST: 23.8
TOTAL ACIDITY: 0.66g/100ml
FINAL pH: 3.32
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 0.075g/100ml
ALCOHOL: 13.0%


VINTAGES NOTES
Harvest 1996 will be remembered as one of the earliest in Californian viticultural history. In most parts of the state bud break was early, and the warm summer weather sped our grapes towards ripeness. However, reasonable yields and innovative farming produced a small crop of surpassingly concentrated and complex fruit. The grapes harvested at our Carneros and Contra Costa ranches exhibited great body while maintaining--particularly in the Carneros district--a bright acid structure. Wines from various regions of the state showed a consistently forward fruit character and stunning acidity, giving our Vin Blanc its lively, floral personality.
VINEYARDS
A wine such as our Vin Blanc, made from so many diverse varietals, is necessarily the product of diverse terriors and micro-climates. What we consider to be the heart and soul of the Vin Blanc program is a small vineyard of head-trained, old vine Palomino and Semillon planted in the unique sandy soils of Contra Costa County. Low yields and the warm Contra Costa summers give the wines a special sense of power and richness. Additionally, Sauvignon Blanc from a hillside vineyard on the western mountains of Sonoma Valley adds crispness and lush fig notes, while Chenin Blanc from Mendocino and Monterey Counties adds lovely pear aromas and a steely backbone. Also from Monterey County, Malvasia Bianca adds a dense and exotic bouquet of spice and floral notes. Other grapes including Chardonnay, Marsanne and Viognier from our Carneros ranch; Muscat Canelli from Sonoma Valley; and additional Semillon from Santa Barbara fill out this wine's charming and multi-faceted personality. First and foremost, when selecting grapes and wines for the Vin Blanc program, we are particularly conscious of good acid balance, intensity of fruit and what a single varietal will offer to the blend as a whole.
FERMENTATION AND AGING
Our 1996 Vin Blanc is a true winemaker's cocktail. The production techniques used to create this unique blend were diverse, and each grape varietal was made separately, undergoing a fermentation and aging best suited to its character. Chardonnay underwent full barrel and malolactic fermentation in new, heavy toast American oak barriques, while Palomino was aged in 1970 gallon French uprights. For a large portion of the blend, cold-fermentation in stainless steel and blocking of malolactic fermentation provided wonderful freshness and forward fruit. Marsanne and Viognier were barrel-aged on their fine lees and stirred bi-weekly to add complexity and richness, while Malvasia Bianca was cold-fermented, adding tingling acidity and a faint hint of sweetness. Most importantly, extensive measures were taken to prevent oxidization of juice and wine, ensuring that the 1996 Vin Blanc tastes as fresh and lively as possible.
WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
For my second vintage of Cotes d' Oakley Vin Blanc, I have sent out to increase production of this unique wine without compromising its sophisticated quality. New to the blend this year are Chenin Blanc, famed grape of France's Loire Valley, and Malvasia Bianca, a singularly aromatic variety widely used in Italy. I am extremely pleased with the outcome this vintage, as the blend offers an added degree of complexity, nice, rich tropical notes a great acidity. We intend this wine to be a uniquely Cline interpretation of an everyday table white--adventurous, affordable and delicious. I recommend that you enjoy the 1996 Cotes d' Oakley Vin Blanc well chilled as an aperitif and with all means of summer cuisine, pasta salads and appetizers such as vine ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella drizzled with your best extra-virgin olive oil. Cheers!!!

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