Vintage 2002 
The word that comes to mind to describe the 2002 growing season is “balanced.” We experienced an overall pattern of moderate to cool temperatures laced with periods of very warm weather in mid-July and then again in September. Over the course of this long, even season, the white grape varieties that make up this proprietary wine enjoyed both extended time on the vine that deepened their flavors and also the essential periods of late summer/early fall heat that brought the fruit to full ripeness.
A question frequently asked about Conundrum is whether it is based primarily on Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. I don’t believe that this approach leads to a full understanding of this wine and its versatility with food. Our intent from the first vintage, in 1989, was to create a totally new wine in which the grape varieties would meld together seamlessly.
The conundrum—or puzzle—of the wine’s exact composition was meant to be elusive. With all the grapes coming into the winery in optimal condition in 2002, the flavors were especially easy to integrate. The Chardonnay and classic Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon combination in the blend work together beyond their individual characteristics to produce rounded, tart/sweet flavors and a dense mouthfeel. Similarly, the wine’s distinctive spicy-floral aroma combines aspects of the Viognier and Muscat Canelli that are essential contributors.
The winemaking techniques we applied to the individual lots were also aimed at building the wine’s layers of flavor, not showcasing its individual components. To retain fresh fruit aromas and flavors but also increase complexity, we fermented and aged about 30 percent of the wine lots in temperature-controlled stainless steel and aged the remaining 70 percent in a combination of French and American oak barrels for 7 months.
I am very pleased with the result. While carrying on Conundrum’s signature taste profile, this vintage seems marked by heightened notes of pears, honeysuckle and vanilla in its aromas, an especially lush, creamy texture, and a lemony finish that balances the wine’s core flavors of tropical fruits, peach/apricot and green melon.
Jon Bolta
Winemaker/Production
Director
Released January 2004
Suggested retail Price: $24
Suggested serving temperature: Lightly chilled
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