Another superb green wine from Don at iota. BD purchase. Jackpot.
February 6, 2021 - Excellent. I requested that my berserkerday package swap out two pinots for a couple of chardonnay because I was curious. Love the PN. This is super and I look like a genius. Love the light green hue. Beautiful yellow and green fruit wrapped in medium acid. Rebuy
It means it 'aint oxidised.
Glad you are enjoying the chard! Here’s a little behind the scenes info. I agree it has a tinge of green to it, that I believe is mostly from it being young and made in a less ripe and more vibrant style. I do a few things to achieve this. First off, it’s grown here onsite at PSV. It’s hard to over ripen chard in the Willamette Valley, and that’s a big factor. Many of the grape clusters are neon green, and some that are exposed to the sun, are golden yellow. I pick it based on the PH and acid over mature flavors. This ensures the acid is balanced even after it goes through full malolactic conversion and will give me flavors ranging from lemon zest, green apple and pear rather than tropical. Once picked and pressed, it’s settled for a day and then immediately moved to barrel where it spends several months completing primary and secondary fermentation without any So2. This technique is called “black chardonnay”. Unlike chards that are immediately protected from oxidation with So2, iOTA chard is allowed to oxidize turning black, like an apple does when cut. This early oxygen bonds with phenols which softens the wine and falls out leaving it brilliantly clear with more stability. The final barrel aging process is less about appearance and more about building body and secondary flavors Also, the wine is on the lees in barrel the whole time which adds texture and body. I think all of these steps are important for balance. Lastly the wine will get a low dose of So2 and bottled after 10 months. Hopes this sheds a little light! ![[soap.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/a/a7ea1fffd3ef237e8f19d17a83270ad8452218ca.gif "soap"){kind=small}
Of note, Rivers-Marie notes an expected green hue from their Thieriot Chard - “I’m not sure how much better this wine can get. We’ve been out here since 2007 and have seen this improve every year we’ve worked with it. The green/gold complexion as always is there suggesting a wine with a long life ahead of it. The site character has become very well defined on the palate: lemon zest, sea spray, brioche, white flowers, orchard fruit and citrus blossom. The completeness of the wine is hard to fathom sometimes. If California ever adopted a vineyard classification system, I have no doubt this site would be in the top tier for Chardonnay.”
Story about Black Chardonnay, just learned something new.
When I read Don’s post I immediately thought “1973 Chateau Montelena.”
There’s an indirect reference to wine berserkers and the premox threads and Ed Kurztman is quoted in the article. Paging Ed…
Meet Black Chardonnay
A nearly forgotten technique for exceptional wines has some producers going back to black
I remember reading that article when it came out and was confused why they were calling it “Black Chardonnay” or “nearly forgotten”. Although the process used to be more popular in the past than it is now, it’s anything but forgotten, at least in the old world. And “Black Chardonnay” definitely isn’t a common term for the process - to my understanding it’s mainly used in the West Coast. At least I’ve never heard anybody outside the US use the term.
And I find the term very dumb especially because it can be used with numerous white varieties, not just Chardonnay. Or does “Black Chardonnay Riesling” make sense to you guys?
I agree, Otto, it’s an unusual term, Black Chardonnay, and I actually had never heard of it until the article came out. When she interviewed me over the phone, I told her about my process that mimicked the crushing of Chardonnay, but our winery doesn’t actually own a crusher. We put the whole clusters of Chard in the press, close the door, and just start turning the press, but not pressing. After a few minutes, the weight of the Chardonnay starts breaking open skins, the juice starts flowing, and within 60 or 90 minutes, you get the yield of pressing without actually pressing. My goal in doing this was skin contact–a temporary darker color and oxygen exposure go hand in hand with this method–but a longer aging Chard was the goal. I’m still assessing the first wine I did this with in 2014.
To me it sounded like they just learned of the process and invented a name for it nobody used and hoped that it would catch on. 
I’ve heard some people use the term after the article, but no people outside the US.
When she interviewed me over the phone, I told her about my process that mimicked the crushing of Chardonnay, but our winery doesn’t actually own a crusher. We put the whole clusters of Chard in the press, close the door, and just start turning the press, but not pressing. After a few minutes, the weight of the Chardonnay starts breaking open skins, the juice starts flowing, and within 60 or 90 minutes, you get the yield of pressing without actually pressing. My goal in doing this was skin contact–a temporary darker color and oxygen exposure go hand in hand with this method–but a longer aging Chard was the goal. I’m still assessing the first wine I did this with in 2014.
Sounds really interesting! I suppose the results have been positive thus far?
On a related note, Hugh Green was a stud NFL linebacker for the Buccaneers and the Dolphins.
He finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1980, the highest a defensive player had ever finished to that point. And the only player to eclipse that – Charles Woodson won the Heisman in 1997 – was a combination cornerback, wide receiver and kick returner, so not solely a defensive player like Hugh Green.
The few times I have encountered green in a white wine it seems to have more attractive character. However, not all white wines with attractive character show green in the glass. As Brig mentioned, perhaps it is acid. It isn’t something that I dwell on.
Yes, all positive so far. If we could ever produce a California Chardonnay that ages well for 20 years, I’d be thrilled. They did it in the '70s and '80s, so we should be able to in 2021.
Just finished one of the greenest wines I’ve ever tasted, the 2015 Ladd Cellars Chardonnay
This one is freaking amazing. Incredible wine.
I bought a bunch of chardonnay from Eric for berserker day so I’m hoping the 2015 is in there. I don’t remember what I bought. LOL
I think two of the more important factors of an interesting Chardonnay that has a green hue are: 1) flavors that are ahead of or even with the brix, for most/all of the growing season…and 2) A low pH of the juice/wine (indicating that the juice chemistry stayed inside the interesting boundries). Keeping just enough oxygen evenly distributed throughout the barrel during elevage is important too!
The complicated part is in encouraging all that to happen!
Thanks for the comments on my wines! Brig: you’re getting some of the 2015 SC Chard…I’ll shoot you an email about the specifics/options.
My supposition as well, and the wine I’d choose over a deep yellow.
Eric Lundblad
You were looking for this thread? Found it.
Are you shipping me some more green Chardonnay for my berserkerday purchase?
Bring on the green meanies.
Thanks Brig. Making sure you get some interesting Chards…when my chards are in barrel, I allow them to be grumpy…but I draw the line at being mean! 