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Carneros Chardonnay

Carneros Chardonnay Wine Details
Price: $32.00 per bottle

Description: The 2001 vintage marks the culmination of plant selection we have been working on since 1997. We have been selecting cuttings from the most flavorful plants from the vineyards we had sourced - with the idea of making our own “super” selection. The vineyards were planted to “Old Wente” or “Robert Young” selections, so we were already starting with some of the most revered cuttings in California*. Even so, we were intent on making a good thing even better. We had these cuttings planted for us at the Toyon Ranch on the Napa side of Carneros and they produced their first juice in 2001. This blends with the Old Wente selection from Sangiacomo’s Vella Ranch. The wine has layers of forward fruit, complex nuances of yeast and barrel, and a striking minerality that is seldom seen in California Chardonnay. This combines with structure and balanced acidity that promises further development over time.

Varietal Definition
Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is by far the most widely planted grape crop in California and dominates California’s cooler, coastal, quality wine regions. The natural varietal ‘taste and smell’ of Chardonnay is surprisingly unfamiliar to many wine drinkers, as its true character is often guised with dominating winemaking signatures. Chardonnay’s rather subdued primary fruit characteristics lean toward the crisp fruitiness of apples, pears and lemon, but the variety’s full body is capable of supporting a host of complementary characteristics, such as oak, butter and vanilla. Regardless of what is the appropriate style for Chardonnay, the varietal continues to dominate vineyard plantings in every corner of the world. Close attention to clonal selection has made this broad geographic and climactic range of Chardonnay viable in thoughtful viticultural hands.


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