2003 J Vintage Brut
The vineyards
The 2003 growing season was a bit of a rollercoaster. Warm periods turned to weeks of cool fog and a damp April gave way to a warm May. The late spring bloom pushed the harvest into September, which is a few weeks later than normal. Overall there was a favorable yield of grapes proving once again that the Russian River Valley is an exceptional terroir for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Processing
All grapes at J are hand-harvested into forty pound lugs and placed as whole clusters (no destemming) into our one-of-a-kind (Coquard) press for a gentle pressing cycle. Grape juice from the various vineyard lots is fermented and kept separately until blending decisions are made in mid-November. The cuvee (blend) was assembled in December of 2003, cold stabilized to remove excess tartrates and then bottled over the spring of 2004.
Aging
After the secondary fermentation (in the bottle) the wines aged for five years in our cool cellars. In early 2009 we began riddling the wines (to remove the yeast sediment responsible for the aging character) and a dosage liqueur was prepared from a blend of wood-aged, reserve wines and pure cane sugar. After the wine was hand disgorged, it was aged for another six months before we released it from our cellars to ensure a perfect balance of flavors.
Tasting Notes
The 2003 J Brut has a bright, exotic nose that draws you in. Hints of lime and tangerine are followed by light pear, white spice and yeasty aromas. The slight nutty and toasty characters blend together, lending a nice balance to the fruit. The creamy, luscious feel that unfolds with your first sip balances flavors of cinnamon and toasted almonds, suggesting it’s New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day all rolled into one. Delicate bubbles lift the complex flavors across your palate and lead to a long, lush finish, not unlike that of biting into a lemon cream pie.
Appellation:Russian River Valley
Harvest Date:August 21 – September 4, 2003
Wine Alcohol:12.5%
Wine Acid:8.7 grams per liter
Wine pH:3.1
Residual Sugar:1.25%
Final Blend:49% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir, 2% Pinot Meunier
Production:1,200 cases
Bottling Date:July 12, 2004