Viandante del Cielo
... is Italian for "walker of the skies", and the name of a series of wines produced by Francis Ford Coppola's winery (
Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery) from grapes grown at George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch. Talk about a bestselling collaboration. :) Apparently, they've been collaborating on wine for years, but the 2002 Viandante del Cielo Chardonnay and Merlot are the first ones they're releasing commercially... and the Chardonnay are all sold out now. Zoiks. The Merlot will be available in June. Fun.
Here's a little more info from the website:
Niebaum-Coppola is proud to present the first public release of George Lucas' "Viandante del Cielo" Skywalker Ranch Chardonnay. Viandante del Cielo is Italian for walker of the skies. The grapes were sourced from a tiny vineyard on George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, CA.
They were harvested and delivered to our Niebaum-Coppola winemakers Scott McLeod and Corey Beck, they were then fermented in small French oak barrels, aged and bottled.
The Skywalker Ranch wines had previously only been available to George Lucas' family and friends.
The Lucas Viandante del Cielo Chardonnay is the first of the Skywalker Ranch wines to be offered and is exclusively sold through our online store and tasting room. With only 250 cases produced supplies are extremely limited and will not last long.
Tasting Notes:
The 2002 Lucas Chardonnay has aromas of crisp McIntosh apples and fresh cinnamon stick followed by lively flavors of pear, lemon, and toasty meringue on the palate. For an ideal food and wine pairing try it with shrimp scampi or scallops in a brown butter sauce.
WINEMAKING ANALYSIS:
Appellation: Skywalker Ranch (single vineyard); Marin County (not an AVA)
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 14.1% by volume
Total Acid: .68gm/100ml
pH: 3.4
Barrel Regimen: 12 months in French oak
Cases Produced: 250
Suggested Retail Price: $30
Hrmmm....
Wait a minute... why in the world am I talking about wine when I don't even drink anyway? Heheheh. :)
.:chronicled by senator skywalker at 4:22:00 PM:.
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