Chardonnay 2020

Viognier
Napa Valley, California
GRAPE VARIETY
Chardonnay 100%
TASTING NOTES
The 2020 will be a year that no one in Napa Valley will easily forget. The last rains of the winter season came in mid-May during flowering and fruit set, resulting in a poorer than normal crop. While June was benign, July through September temperatures were scorching. In addition, the fire season that characterizes the area, started unusually early and lasted a long time. However, the very nature of white winemaking and the lack of skin contact offers the possibility of producing great white wines. Such is the case with this 2020 Chardonnay, which we find fresh, fruity and crisp. The soils where the vines, which are between 12 and 26 years old, grow range from alluvial sediments in Coombsville and Carneros to volcanic mineral soils on Howell Mountain. The grapes were whole cluster crushed, thus retaining the stems that were perfectly ripe. Seventy-five percent of the must was fermented in barrels and the remaining 25 percent in stainless steel tanks, in both cases at temperatures never exceeding 12.5°C . Partial malolactic fermentation in barrel. The wine was aged sur lie for 10 months with constant battonage. 36% of the barrels used were new and made of French oak. This 2020 Chardonnay from Napa Valley is a rich, nuanced and complex wine. The nose opens with aromas of apple pie, creme brulee, ripe pineapple, orange marmalade and fresh peach. The sip is smooth, balanced and integrated, presenting flavors of stone fruit, candied lemon peel, baking spices, ambrosia and vanilla. It is simultaneously vibrant, balanced and creamy, with a long, lingering finish. We recommend drinking it by 2029.