1987 J Vintage Brut, Late-Disgorged

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Winemaker's Notes
Only 1900 bottles of this, the first vintage of the J Brut, were kept back in our library and disgorged for release in the fall of 1999. This wine's aromas were dominated by fresh apple, floral and citrus notes when first released in 1991. Now, with age, the aromas lean more towards baked apples, roasted nuts, biscuit and baker's yeast. The flavors remain fresh and lively, with some citrus still evident but with the added patina coming from 10 years of yeast autolysis. The aftertaste on this wine is medium in length and nutty in character.

Processing
Whole cluster pressing, only light pressing used for cuvee. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, no malolactic fermentation. Bottled in the spring of 1988.

Ageing
The wine spent 10 years aging on the yeast lees in our cool cellars. Disgorged in December 1998.

Finishing
A blend of pure cane sugar and reserve wines was used to highlight the complex flavors and aromas at the time of disgorging. Finished in BRUT style with 1.10 gram sugar /100ml.

Harvest: August 4th - September 4th, 1987

Harvest Analysis
Average sugar level 19.0° Brix, average acidity 1.20 g/100ml TA, average pH 3.06.

Final Analysis
12.5% Alcohol (v/v), pH 3.05, TA 1.03 g/100ml