CHALK HILL'S POTENTIAL FOR GREAT CHARDONNAY was discovered early and it became one of the initial plantings. The oldest, Founder's Block dates back to the establishment of the winery, in 1971, and remains a keystone in the estate's Chardonnay program.
In order to draw out its true varietal character, and imprint the Chalk Hill Estate signature, the winemaking regime always includes: whole cluster pressing, natural yeast and malolactic fermentations in barrel, sur lie aging (with batonage) in French oak, and unfiltered bottling- tried-and-true Burgundian techniques.
At Chalk Hill, the Estate Bottled Chardonnay is assembled from vineyard blocks that each provides an individual lot of finished wine— 100% Chardonnay, but from a variety of clonal selections— and from a variety of sites on the estate.
Each year, since the first planting in 1972, our original Founder's Block of Chardonnay has bestowed us with incredibly low yields of concentrated fruit. From these, in exemplary years, a few candidates are selected for a special bottling.
| > 2005 Founder's Block Chardonnay | $90 |
Each year, certain sites, certain clones, and certain barrels become standouts for their showy, yet complex nature. From these "stars of the cellar," and only in exemplary years, a few candidates are selected for a special bottling.
In selected vintages, clones from our long-term research vineyard are bottled separately as a demonstration of the varied nature of flavors and bouquet each clone possesses. Sets of six are sold only as a set.
| > 2003 Chardonnay Clones Collection |  |
| > 2000 Chardonnay Clones Collection | |
