Nose
This wine entices with aromas of baked apple, fig, white peach, cinnamon, butterscotch, hazelnut, graham cracker and marshmallow.
Palate
Elegant, upfront ripe flavors of pear, apple and nutmeg with creamy vanilla and caramel toast on the finish. The cool climate of Napa Valley Carneros imparts its unique finesse to the wine, while the Alexander Valley component adds an intensely rich mouth-filling character.
Growing Conditions
Overall 2016 was a good year. Spring produced great set, and despite a third year of drought conditions in our area, the vines produced ideal yields. Overall warmer temperatures during the summer months allowed fruit to achieve mature, ripe flavors.
Bottling
January 2018
Winemaking
Each individual lot for this wine is hand picked, whole-cluster pressed and then cold settled for 24 hours in stainless steel tanks before moving to French oak barrels for fermentation. The wine completes 95 percent malolactic fermentation and is sur lie aged in French oak barrels, with bi-weekly stirring for five months until blending in April. Then the blended wine is aged an additional eight months in neutral French oak until bottling.
Aging
27% new French oak, 73% older French oak
Food Pairing
In addition to a wide variety of appetizers, shellfish and poultry dishes, Reserve Chardonnay pairs perfectly with richer foods that enhance this fuller bodied and deliciously creamy wine.
