VINEYARD

The Mariah Vineyard is a unique, remote place, born of a dream shared by Dan and Vicki Dooling in the 1970s. The young couple acquired what was a timber ground property in 1979 with the goal of making it a vineyard capable of producing outstanding grapes. The vineyard is in southwest Mendocino County, within the Mendocino Ridge AVA. It’s an oasis in the middle of the forest, 2600 ft above sea level and just 5 miles from the Pacific coast. The entire property is farmed organically, and no irrigation is used. Our Mariah Chardonnay fully reflects the delicacy and personality of this great patch of land.

VINTAGE CONDITIONS

In 2018, the Mariah Vineyard saw a discrete amount of rain from January through April with some snow. Bud break was a week later than the previous year, closer to April 10-12th. The weather warmed up at the beginning of May, before cooling down for the second half of the month. Temperatures rose again in June, with bloom occurring around the 10th, which is typical for this vineyard. Veraison started mid-August. Going into the growing season with later rains and a warm—but not exceptionally hot—summer, the berries were full with no dehydration. September boasted warm days and cool nights, which is ideal for even ripening. The 2018 vintage will produce wines of outstanding character.

VINIFICATION

The winemaking is classic and simple, something that is true for all Newton Chardonnays. Once the fruit reaches optimal maturity, it is hand-harvested at night, and whole-bunch pressed. The must is then transferred to oak barrels where the cloudy juice undergoes natural fermentation. For Mariah Vineyard 2018 we decided to use only 15% new French oak, as this vineyard produces fruit with delicate aromatics and unique character. This ensured the sense of place was not obscured by oak flavors. We were able to carry malolactic fermentation fully and still retain bright freshness and tension. The Chardonnay aged on its own fermentation lees for 16 months before bottling in February 2020.