2005 RUDD RUSSIAN RIVER CHARDONNAY
         "BACIGALUPI VINEYARD"

The Bacigalupi Vineyard is located on benchland along Westside Road within the fog belt of the Russian River Valley. The 2005 vintage of this vineyard- designate Chardonnay is Rudd’s seventh release. It is from the oldest blocks 1, 3, 5 and 6, which were planted to old Wente clonal selections starting in the mid-1960’s. These same vines were the main source of the legendary 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the Paris Tasting in 1976. The vines are low yielding, producing fruit of intensely focused yet elegant flavors.

The 2005 vintage exhibits classic fruit with mineral and toast aromas, a rich mid-palate and a long finish, typical characteristics of this old Chardonnay vineyard. This wine also shows more of the floral aromas often seen in old Wente selections. With a cool spring the growing season finished about a week late: harvest was on September 23 rd and 24 th. Once harvested, the grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed, and the juice was then gravity-fed to French oak barrels in Rudd’s underground caves. Native yeasts were allowed to induce a leisurely primary fermentation. The following summer, native bacteria completed the malolactic fermentation. Weekly stirring of the lees occurred until the secondary fermentation was complete in late summer, and then the wine was stirred monthly for the remainder of time in barrel. After 17 months in barrel, the wine was racked to tank, settled, and minimally fined before being bottled unfiltered in May 2007.