Gothic Ophelia Chardonnay

Gothic 2011 ‘Ophelia’ Chardonnay Named after the star-crossed noblewomen from Hamlet, Ophelia is Gothic’s first white wine. The 2011 ‘Ophelia’ Chardonnay was harvested on November 3rd, from exclusively LIVE certified vineyards in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA of the Willamette Valley, Oregon. After a cool start to the growing season, grapes matured late into an Indian summer under warm, sunny skies, allowing us to harvest beautiful, mature fruit under ideal, albeit later than usual, conditions. 2011 is on record as the latest harvest ever throughout the Willamette Valley. Post harvest and sorting, the Chardonnay was whole cluster pressed, fermented and settled in tank, and racked to a combination of stainless steel and neutral French oak. The long, cool fermentation was followed by elevage in entirely neutral vessels, and the wine was bottled in July of 2012. The wine did not undergo Malolactic fermentation. Tasting Notes Vibrant aromas of yellow apple, summer melon and jasmine are complimented by flavors of ginger blossom, confit lemon and starfruit. Judicious use of lees contact and neutral oak during elevage helped the 2011 Ophelia develop a medium body and silky mouth-feel, followed by a crisp, lingering finish. Yields were under two tons per acre. 882 cases produced.