Charles and Helen Bacigalupi began farming grapes when they purchased vineyards on Westside Road back in 1956. Seeing the need for more premium grapes, they planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on their 121-acre ranch in the Russian River Valley in 1964. They gained notoriety after the results of the 1976 Judgment of Paris, where the winning Chardonnay was a blend of 40% of the Chardonnay from the Bacigalupi vineyard. The Russian River Valley offers a long, cool growing season. Lingering fog and wind from the nearby Pacific Ocean provide moderate temperatures and slows the ripening process. With an extended “hang” time on the vines, the results at harvest are small berries with firm acidity and highly concentrated varietal aromas and flavors.
Soil Profile: Alluvial
Aspect: Southwestern
Elevation: 350 feet
Planted: 1998
Clone: 4 & Field Selection
Rootstock: AXR & 5C
Trellis: Cordon
Harvest: September 2020
Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Analysis Alc.: 14.6%
TA: 0.69 gm/100 ml
pH: 3.3
Residual Sugar: 0.06%
Production: 4 Barrels