2005 Ethos Chardonnay

$32.00 -- Aromas and flavors of green apple, lemon and toasted hazelnuts lead to a soft, elegant, restrained finish.

Purchase 2005 Ethos Chardonnay

Tasting Notes
“As the pinnacle of Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay, my vision for Ethos is old world complexity and elegance with concentrated Washington fruit. Sourced predominately from our vineyard at Canoe Ridge Estate, the 2005 Ethos Chardonnay shows the delicacy of Canoe Ridge Estate fruit, but with complexity from natural fermentation. Aromas and flavors of green apple, lemon and toasted hazelnuts lead to a soft, elegant, restrained finish. Serve this with foods that aren’t too complicated, like grilled fish, as the wine truly wants to be the star of the meal… so let it! With this third vintage of Ethos Chardonnay, we are finding that these age extremely well. If you have a proper storage location, lay a few bottles down and watch the development... I think you will be amazed.”
-Bob Bertheau, winemaker

Vintage

The 2005 harvest tested our winemaker’s patience, but ultimately delivered excellent quality fruit.
The growing season started cool, followed by 90+ degree days in July and August.
September brought cool and constant weather, which extended the season, allowing grapes extra time to ripen on the vine and enhance flavor development.

Vineyards

Chardonnay from our vineyard at Canoe Ridge Estate made up over half of the blend, along with fruit from our Cold Creek Vineyard.
An ideal site for Chardonnay, the vineyard at Canoe Ridge Estate lies on the north bank of the Columbia River.
The site’s proximity to the river protects it from temperature extremes, allowing uniform ripening and excellent color development.

Winemaking

A third of the blend underwent natural fermentation for more interesting nuances and complexity.
Individual lots were managed separately, allowing the winemaker to identify the best lots for Ethos.
Barrel fermented in 60% new and one-year-old French oak for enhanced complexity.
100% sur lie aged for eight months to integrate the fruit and oak flavors and provide a rich mouthfeel.
Malolatic fermentation also took place to add softness, balance and depth.

Food Pairings

Foods: Pasta with mushrooms, salmon, veal
Herbs: Thyme, lemon zest

Technical Data

Total Acidity: 0.58g/100ml
pH: 3.46
Alcohol: 14.1%
Blend: 100% Chardonnay

Purchase 2005 Ethos Chardonnay

Other products in the category Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine / Ethos Wines:

2003 Ethos Merlot -- "Power, concentration, complexity, refinement..."
6 bottle purchase limit

2004 Ethos Merlot -- "Black cherry, plum, cocoa, leather, cedar and dried herb aromas..."

2005 Ethos Late Harvest Riesling -- A complex wine, the Ethos Late Harvest Riesling exudes aromas of honey, apricot and spice.

2005 Ethos Syrah -- As the pinnacle tier for Chateau Ste. Michelle, the Ethos Syrah offers a rich mouthful of jammy blackberry fruit with layers of complexity and depth.

2006 Ethos Late Harvest White Riesling 375ml -- The Ethos Late Harvest White Riesling is a complex, decadent wine with intense aromas of apricot, honey and jasmine spice.