In spite of its ubiquity, of all the noble grapes, Chardonnay is among the best at reflecting its terroir of origin. So it’s vital to grow this variety in a location that will deliver grapes capable of conversion into a wine that displays the real elegance and luxury Chardonnay can offer. The Carneros region is one such region. Nearly 3000 acres of Chardonnay are planted in these bay-cooled, shallow soils.

We carefully choose the Carneros vineyards and growers from whom we will partner with each vintage. We augment these choices with estate Chardonnay grown in our own vineyards. We expect our Carneros Chardonnay to deliver vibrancy and rich mouthfeel. Over the years we’ve uncovered a number of techniques that bring us this quality while maintaining the integrity and rich fruit flavors typical of Carneros-grown Chardonnay.

This wine is fermented in French oak barrels and aged sur lie for about eight months. Usually twenty-five to thirty percent of these barrels are new; the balance have been used once and twice before. During the aging process, the barrels are stirred (batonnage) to increase yeast contact for added richness. The wine also completes malolactic fermentation in the barrel, which adds roundness to the mouthfeel and complexity to the aroma. Finally, our Carneros Chardonnay has been bottled without filtration since 1993 when, after experimentation, we concluded that unfiltered Chardonnay delivers a more vibrant fruit character and a richer mouthfeel.

-From the producer