DESCRIPTION:
Warm golden color with green apple and sweet French Oak aromas on the nose.
WINE MAKING NOTES:
Grape Blend: 95% Chardonnay, 5% Viognier
TA: 5.6 gm/L | PH: 3.34 | RS: 0.92 | Alcohol: 13.0%
Fermentation: Oak & Stainless Tank | Oak: French | Oak age:7 months | Harvest Brix: 24 (average) | Bottle Date: July 14, 2023 | Cases Produced: 1437 | Maturity: now until 2025
FLAVOR AND AROMA NOTES:
baked apple, hints of warm vanilla, spice with a buttery soft finish.
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
A fantastic cocktail wine. Try with a wide variety of soft cheeses, toasted nuts, lobster or bacon wrapped scallops.
VINEYARD NOTES:
One half of this "Yes Dear" Chardonnay was fermented in French Oak barrels and the other half in stainless tank. The combination of the fruitiness of the stainless and the oak depth and softness of the oak are evident in the aroma and flavors of the wine. Check out our blog post on why Temecula Valley is a great place to grow chardonnay grapes for more information.
Wilson Creek has two blocks of Chardonnay, one of the main grape varieties grown on property. It’s mainly used in making “Yes Dear” Chardonnay. This is one of the first grape varieties to “Bud-out” after the winter dormancy and one of the first grapes to be harvested.
Block 2- Little more than 4 acres was planted in 1970. This Block is located behind Rosie’s house behind the gradual rise north of the courtyard. The southern edge is somewhat flat but sloping downward on its northern edge. Due to its age, this block produces deep rich flavorful grapes.
Block 6- Planted in 2006 in a 2.5-acre block, this Chardonnay is located just above our Roussanne and below a block of Petite Sirah. Since wine grapes are self-pollinating there is no need for insect pollinators like bees. As a result, there is no concern regarding crosspollination with the surrounding grape varieties. The Chardonnay from this block display a vibrant acidity and fruitiness perfect for out “Yes Dear”.
MEET OUR WINEMAKERS -
Kestutis Vizgirda
Kestutis "Gus" Vizgirda believes the secret to good winemaking begins in the vineyard. That's why throughout the growing season you will find him touring the rows of varietals and envisioning the kinds of wines he will produce from the harvest. For over two decades, Vizgirda has worked at several local wineries, working with some of the Valley's best winemakers to refine his craft. Today, he has developed his own unique approach to making wine and has won gold medals for several of his varietals.
In addition to serving as Wilson Creek's Winemaker, Vizgirda teaches wine classes at Mt. San Jacinto College and San Diego State University Extended Studies campus. He is also a judge at several local and international wine competitions.
Kristina Filippi
A lifelong resident of Southern California, Kristina Filippi grew up in the cradle of California’s winegrowing origins, the Cucamonga Valley. While attending college Kristina was hired to work in the winery tasting room at Joseph Filippi Winery in Rancho Cucamonga while she simultaneously attended Cal Poly Pomona and received a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science. It was during this time that she discovered her passion for wine and food pairing as well as the winemaking process. She soon enrolled in and graduated from the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts program and went on to work at The Mission Inn Restaurant and Duane’s Prime Steaks and Seafood at the Historic Mission Inn in downtown Riverside.
While following her culinary aspirations, Kristina continued to work part time at the winery, and began to help with harvest cellar tasks whenever she could. In 2008, she was invited by the Filippi family to learn the winemaking process from the ground up and she jumped at the opportunity to turn her passion for wine into a career. She trained with enologist Tish Cooper and was advised by consultants Dr. Fred S. Nury, Emeritus Professor of Enology and Food Science at Cal State University Fresno, as well as retired winemaker and vintner Rene Biane. In the 10 years that she served as winemaker for Joseph Filippi Winery, she enjoyed working with grapes from vines that were over 100 years old, including Alicante Bouschet, Mission, Palomino, Pedro Ximenez, and Zinfandel varieties, as well as various varietals from younger vineyards, including Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petite Sirah. Old-world winemaking traditions have greatly influenced her style, focusing on the idea of “less is more” while taking care to preserve the true character and expression of each varietal and its terroir. Kristina’s wines have earned gold medals and 90+ ratings, a couple of which include Double Gold and Best in Class for her Petite Sirah, and her Super Tuscan style red blend, Velluto which earned 91 pts from Wine Enthusiast.
Kristina’s own family has viticultural roots in Southern California related to the San Gabriel Valley that reach back to 1784, and she moved here to Temecula in 2019 with hopes of getting in touch with those roots by learning more about the viticultural side of winemaking. Prior to joining us here at Wilson Creek, she spent the last two years working in and managing vineyards in Temecula. We are extremely excited to have her as a part of our team and we know she will create some amazing wines for our winery.
