WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
The goal for this wine is finesse and complexity which is enhanced by using long, slow, native fermentations. From the Napa side of Carneros, this Chardonnay is a beautiful golden color. The nose opens up with roasted almonds and evolves to floral and fruity notes including bergamot, pineapple, ripe peaches and citrus. In the mouth, the entry is very round and fresh with an abundance of fruit flavors. The acidity is very soft, and guided by the minerality, all supporting a lingering finish.
TASTING NOTES:
Coming all from the Stanly Ranch Vineyard in Carneros, the 2020 Chardonnay Carneros saw partial malolactic fermentation and aging in 30% new French oak, with the rest in used barrels and stainless steel. Beautifully textured and medium-bodied, it has lots of honeyed, tropical, pineapple aromatics, some classic buttery Chardonnay nuances, a good spine of acidity, and a great finish.
- Jeb Dunnuck, 92 pts.
Vivid toast and butter aromas lead to equally toasty, baking spice flavors that are cut through with lemons and green apples for good counter-balance. The wine is bold and assertive, a great choice for fans of an oaky style.
- Wine Enthusiast, 92 pts.
The Carneros-sourced 2020 Chardonnay is a beauty, with scents of grilled pineapple, white peach and citrus on the nose. Fermentation takes place in a mix of new French oak barrels (30%), used barrels (50%) and stainless-steel "barrels" (20%), leaving a wine that's touched by oak but not dominated by it. It's medium-bodied, plump and textural yet fresh, clean and lively on the finish.
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 91 pts.
