Truchard 2005 Roussanne Botrytis
Vintage:
Near perfect conditions throughout the spring of 2005 resulted in excellent berry set and a very large crop. Mild summer temperatures gradually ripened the fruit, allowing for extremely long “hang time”. The 2005 vintage produced elegant wines; with intense aromas, rich flavors, and bright acidity.
Vineyard:
This exotic dessert wine was made from Roussanne that was left to hang on the vine until mid November. Ideal conditions of high humidity and moderate temperatures allowed for the growth of botrytis cinera, an unusual mold that can grow on the grape clusters. Botrytis causes the fruit to dehydrate and become extremely sweet, it also produces unique aromas and flavors. It is rare and highly prized when making a “late harvest” wine; for this reason Botrytis is often referred to as the “noble rot”.
Winemaking:
All of the fruit was whole cluster pressed. The fermentation was carried out in French oak barrels (25%) new, using a special Sauterne yeast. The fermentation was halted when the proper balance of sugar and alcohol was achieved. The wine was aged in barrels for 10 months and bottled in August 2006.
Truchard Winemaker Profile:
Sal de Ianni worked his first harvest in 1994 at Hess Collection Winery. He spent 6 months in the cellar, and then returned to school. During the 1995 vintage, he worked at Cuvaison Winery, in both the cellar and the lab. After six months, he went back to Davis to finish my thesis: “Investigating Methods of Detecting Urea in Wine.” In the summer of 1996, he received his MS in Enology and returned to Cuvaison for the upcoming harvest, as the enologist. Immediately after harvest he was offered the opportunity work in Margaret River, Western Australia. He would be the “temporary” winemaker at a small ultra-premium winery – Pierro Margaret River Vineyards. He left for Australia in January 1997 and returned to Cuvaison in August, just in time for the 1997 harvest there in California.
After his winemaking experience in Australia, He felt that it was hard to go back to being an enologist; so he began searching for a winemaking position in the Napa Valley. He answered a help-wanted ad the local paper which read “small, family-owned winery looking for a hands-on winemaker.” He joined Tony and Jo Ann Truchard at Truchard Vineyards in January 1998 and is still there ten years later.
Tasting Notes:
A floral nose of dried apricots, mango, and honeysuckle. The mouth is bright and viscous - with the flavors of ripe pear, nectarine, and wild flower honey. Firm acidity provides a clean, crisp finish of citrus and peach. 200 cases produced.
