Description

Heroine 2021 is sourced entirely from Bunker Hillside Vineyard on the western slope of Sonoma Mountain. Sitting over 1,500 ft in elevation, the 50+ year old vines are a mix of Sonoma Mountain, ‘Old Wente’, and Clone 8. From the vineyard, you can see clear across the Petaluma gap. Due to its high exposure and marine layer fog, the vineyard is very late ripening. Because of the late harvest and high altitude, the fruit is particularly perceptible to smoke and sadly was unable to yield any fruit in 2020. However, in 2021, with a clear growing year, we were finally able to start working with this incredible site! Heroine Chardonnay has always been about balancing freshness with bold body and weight. This vineyard retains a remarkable amount of acid balanced by the concentration of the old vines and particularly rocky soil. It embodies what Heroine is all about- both elegance and power. The grapes were picked late-September and immediately whole cluster pressed over 6 hours using a champagne cycle method. The wine was then settled for 24 hours before racking into neutral French oak barrels to ferment. The wine fermented naturally through primary and secondary over four months, finally finishing in February! The long, slow fermentation produced a wine both floral, and somewhat tropical. The rich body is balanced by the bright acid of the hillside fruit.