2003 Chardonnay Ashley's

.This a joint venture of Greg Brewer, who also makes the Melville wines, and Steve Clifton, who has his own Palmina label.(Brewer's background is in French literature, while Clifton was a singer/musician who had worked in Italian restaurants.)The pair began their collaboration in '96 and continue to offer only chardonnay and pinot noir from SantaRita Hills fruit.According to Brewer, all the chardonnays are made in exactly the same way, and so are the pinots."The only differences are of site," he maintained."It's more of a discipline than a winemaking venture; we do not change our techniques to respond to vintage conditions because we're afraid of imposing a winemaker signature."The chardonnays are barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts, then left on the lees, without stirring, until they are assembled in late June for a bottling in July.Most of the malolactic fermentation is blocked.The pinots are made entirely with whole clusters, as Brewer and Clifton do not own a destemmer.Clifton describes the pair's 2002s as round, voluptuous and immediate."The 2003s are closer to the vest and not yet giving, due to the lower crop level and higher skin-to-juice ratio," he adds. Also tasted: 2003 Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa Santa Rita Hills, 2003 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Santa Rita Hills.