Keeping with the tradition established by Andrew Frei in 1890, Frei Brothers Reserve wines are crafted to reveal the personality of the land and bring out the natural expression of the fruit. That is why we chose the Russian River Valley as the home of our Chardonnay.

The Russian River Valley is regarded as one of the world’s most preeminent wine-growing regions. Close to the sea, the valley’s summer warmth is moderated by fog and other cooling maritime influences, creating an ideal climate for Chardonnay grapes.
2002 began with lots of rain followed by a stretch of dry cold weather. This, however, did not seem to impact greatly on the vines allowing bud break, bloom, and veraison to occur at about the same time as we have seen in previous years. The time following veraison is most critical for the ripening of the fruit, and in the 2002 growing season it was very mild, which allowed the grapes to ripen more slowly and to produce rich ripe flavors, ideal for producing wines with greater complexity. Following the summer we had a heat spike around Labor Day which sped up the ripening. Due to this cool start and then spike in temperature, the wines had both ripe flavors and good acidity. The harvest was completed by the last week of October.

  

At the Frei Brothers we craft our wines in a gentle, traditional style enhanced through the use of modern technology that makes fruit the focus and showcases the best that each varietal and appellation have to offer.

To ensure that the grapes are gently squeezed and allow the natural fruit character to shine through, a gravity fed, whole cluster press pad is used for 100% of our Chardonnay to eliminate the bitterness that typically results from crusher-destemmers.

The juice was primarily barrel fermented and aged in 60% new and 40% prior use European, French, and American oak for an average of 6 months. Temperature was monitored not to exceed 68° F to produce a slower, cooler fermentation that enhanced complexities of body, flavor, and aroma. Fermentation occurred through a combination of wild yeasts found naturally on the grape skins and a Burgundian cultured yeast, CY3079.

The wine underwent malolactic fermentation, lending it a buttery flavor that complements its crisp, clean finish.

  

Frei Brothers Reserve wines possess a fruit-forward character with intense aromas and flavors that reflect the land and the climate that created the grapes. Our 2002 Chardonnay is big and intense with a soft mouthfeel and a long crisp finish. It expresses complex varietal characters of bright pear, peach and citrus, and a hint of vanilla and spice.