VINEYARDS

Over 40 years ago, we released our very first wine: a 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay, and we have been fine-tuning it ever since. Our vineyards received ample rainfall this year, and we saw the grapes mature uniformly with extraordinary flavor, concentration and balanced acidity. The Haire Loam soil series in these vineyards naturally regulate vigor as well as yield. The cool weather at the site, along with customized and meticulously-maintained trellising, provides an ideal setting for growing the Chardonnay varietal.

VINTAGE 2017

The stretch from bloom to veraison was particularly long this year, allowing for wonderful character development in the grapes. 2017 marks another vintage of stellar quality fruit from Napa. Progressively warmer temperatures fully-ripened the Chardonnay, but our timely harvest brought the grapes in before the heat spike and kept sugars levels in check.

WINEMAKING

We harvested the grapes by night in small batches as they reached perfect maturity. The fruit, cool from the evening temperatures, was pressed directly into tank using whole cluster pressing. We then transferred the juice into French oak barrels to ferment. In order to achieve maximum fruit expression, we aged the wine on primary yeast lees for eight months with intermittent stirring of the lees to enhance texture and boost complexity.

TASTING NOTES

This wine has a pretty, floral nose with fresh citrus, orange blossom and white peach, but the real treat is in the mouth. The viscosity coats the palate; it is weighty on the tongue yet well-balanced with acidity. The finish is clean with a nice zing and lingering minerality intertwined with pear and apple lemon.