Toad Hollow Vineyards

1997 Chardonnay, Francine’s Selection, Sonoma County 

Take my chardonnay ... please!

You'll be glad you did.  It tastes good.

That's probably all you have to know about the 1997 Toad Hollow Chardonnay just released.  As you have guessed, there is more to the story should you want to know.

It is a rare occasion when an agricultural product excels in both quality and quantity as our 1997 Chardonnay does.  For three years we have had short crops of grapes.   Floods, frost, and a myriad of other apocalyptic riders have swept over us to prevent ample production even in spite of ambitious new plantings in beautiful Sonoma County.

This has been understandably irritating to the growing number of adherents of our Toad Hollow Chardonnay.

The 1997 crop was big, bad, and beautiful and offers the most complex sybaritic Chardonnay we've had the pleasure of bottling (and drinking).

Still in the steely "tongue on stone" house style, it offers layers of complexity stemming from the ample sun at harvest and an emotion wrenching brush with botrytis just prior to picking.

The botrytis (caused by two inches of rain as the Chardonnay was about to be harvested) left a "kiss" of richness as it dried in the hot sun and crept off without causing further mischief or even wrinkling the sheets ... other than utter despair, contemplated suicide, and potential homelessness.  Like the Flying Wallenda's, we made it across on the third try and working without a net.

We have an ample supply of this truly exemplary wine to actually take us through the year and into the holidays with only minor constraints and gentle herding and guidance (sometimes we've been sold out in August!).

So let the good times roll -- the gate is open.  It may be a long time before this fortuitous coincidence of quality and quantity happens again.  This is your Chardonnay.  Do it and do it again -- it's all right.

Pertinent facts (besides "it tastes good"):

Alcohol:  12.5%
pH:         3.60
TA:         0.55 g/100 ml

...blah blah blah!

info@toadhollow.com