2002 Chardonnay Grapes

When deciding the exact moment to harvest Chardonnay, the goal is to match sugar content, acidity and phenolic maturity in the grapes. 

Domaine Sainte Rose harvested the Chardonnay on the 27th of August when the grapes registered 13.5 Baumé and had an acidity content of 5.5 grams/litre H2S04.  The quality and health of the fruit was fantastic! The harvest was conducted at night to ensure that the grapes were picked at a cool temperature thus ensuring that the fermentation process did not begin until the desired moment.  Fermentation occurred once the grapes were safely in a temperature controlled environment.

As a variety, Chardonnay benefits from barrel fermentation and/or aging in oak barrels. Aging in oak creates a more intense nose and length on the palate. It creates a wine that is full bodied and full of complex flavours. Fermentation in oak produces flavours such as vanilla, coconut and toast. The length of time spent in oak varies according to the grape variety, but also according to the type of oak used and how old the barrel is.  Twenty five percent of the Chardonnay juice will be barrel fermented with a portion thereafter going on to be barrel aged.

Domaine Sainte Rose produced four Chardonnay based wines from the 2002 Vintage:

The Sirocco Chardonnay- Unoaked

Le Vent Du Nord- Unoaked Roussanne/Chardonnay

La Nuit Blanche Chardonnay- Barrel fermented

Le Pinacle Chardonnay- Barrel fermented and aged in oak for 12 months.

2002 Vintage Pictures:

The evening of the 27th August 2002	Chardonnay grapes have their final analysis and are ready for picking	Chardonnay grapes arrive at the receival area	The destemmer hard at work	The leftover skins and pips will be donated to a local distillery who in turn use it to make alcohol
The 2002 Chardonnay juice 2 days after the fermentation process began	25% of the 2002 Chardonnay harvest will be barrel fermented