100% Chardonnay

Arroyo Seco, Greenfield Vineyard (Riverstone)

Following the extremely late and cool growing season of 1998, the vintage of 1999, 'La Niña,' was anticipated to be warmer and drier with expectations of an earlier than normal harvest. However, Mother Nature delivered a wet, cool spring and an extremely mild, almost cold, growing season&endash; extending harvest another two to three weeks over the incredibly long 1998 vintage! The fruit set was poor with yields 36% below normal and 55% below 1997. But the quality was clearly the highest seen in the last 20 years. We were blessed with dry, 'Indian Summer,' weather throughout October and were able to wait for the optimum flavor development - balancing grape sugar, acid and the lignification of seeds- before harvesting during the last days of October, 1999. The combination of all of these elements produced the most intensely flavored Chardonnay in memory with descriptors of citrus rind, nectarine, guava juice and peach that were incredibly ripe but balanced by excellent acidity.

The 1999 vintage marks the half-way point in a continual evolution of our Riverstone Chardonnay, produced from our vineyards in the town of Greenfield in Monterey County. Each year, starting in 1995, we have incorporated higher percentages of traditional Burgundian production techniques into Riverstone (reaching 50% in 1999). This includes more malo-lactic fermentation and sur lie aging with lees stirring, which in turn creates a wine of greater complexity and nuance. The vines are grown primarily on Elder loam soils underlain by "riverstones" deposited over thousands of years from the Arroyo Seco river, allowing a four foot rooting zone that keeps the vine's vegetative growth and fruit in balance. Additionally, the cool climate and winds of the Salinas Valley extend the growing season and retain the natural grape acids and intense varietal character of the Chardonnay.

Following the extremely late and cool growing season of 1998, the vintage of 1999, 'La Niña,' was anticipated to be warmer and drier with expectations of an earlier than normal harvest. However, Mother Nature delivered a wet, cool spring and an extremely mild, almost cold, growing season &endash; extending harvest another two to three weeks over the incredibly long 1998 vintage! The fruit set was poor with yields 36% below normal and 55% below 1997. But the quality was clearly the highest seen in the last 20 years. We were blessed with dry 'Indian Summer' weather throughout October and were able to wait for the optimum flavor development - balancing grape sugar, acid and the lignification of seeds - before harvesting during the second week of October, 1999. The combination of all of these elements produced the most intensely flavored Chardonnay in memory with descriptors of citrus rind, nectarine, guava juice and peach that were incredibly ripe but balanced by excellent acidity.

The Arroyo Vista Vineyard lies in the heart of the windswept and cool Arroyo Seco AVA of Monterey County. Loamy sand and gravelly loam soils of the Elder series are intermixed and underlain by "Greenfield potatoes"&endash; stones that resemble potatoes in size and appearance and which absorb heat during the day and radiate their heat after sunset. This underlayment of stone effectively limits root growth to the top three to five feet of soil, harmoniously balancing the fruit and shoot growth of our richly flavored Clone 5 Chardonnay on 5BB rootstock.

100% Chardonnay

Arroyo Vista Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County

88.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.2% Merlot, 1.4% Cabernet Franc

Seven Oaks, Paso Robles vineyard

The 1999 vintage will be remembered as one of the most exceptional red wine vintages in California. This "La Niña" growing season&endash; when the Pacific Ocean waters off of the west coast of the United States cool, or in this case transition, from warm to cool&endash; provided the most even and moderate temperature vintage in decades. This produced some of the most concentrated and heavily pigmented red Bordeaux grapes that we have ever seen in Paso Robles. The harvest of our Cabernet Sauvignon started on October 7th with the last fruit picked on October 26th at an average of 24.49 degrees Brix with excellent acidity and pH.

The popularity of our Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon has continued to grow over the years and we as viticulturists and winemakers continue to look for ways to improve quality with every vintage&endash; providing full, flavorful wines with enticing come-hither aromas and soft, supple tannins. The Cabernet Sauvignon was grown on the Arbuckle-Positas, Arbuckle-San Ysidro Complex and Nacimiento-Los Osos Complex soils of our estate in Paso Robles. These are relatively poor soils with gravelly or chalky components. The terrain is rolling grassland hills, dotted with Oaks (Robles in Spanish), and in our case "Seven Oaks." The vines are mostly own-rooted with a clonal selection from the old Estrella River winery vineyard. This clone evidences tiny berries with enticing forward fruit flavors.

95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc

Hilltop Vineyard, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County