Neyers Carneros Chardonnay 2003

"Notes of orange blossoms and hazelnut oil along with tropical fruits and other assorted citrus are present in the 2003 Chardonnay Carneros. The wine is full-bodied with superb fruit, purity, and loads of length. Drink it over the next 2-4 years."
-Wine Advocate

What a great year 2003 has turned out to be for California Chardonnay! While all of France was caught up in one of the warmest (and most uncomfortable) summers in history, most of the Napa and Sonoma Chardonnay vineyards enjoyed a mild growing season, with moderate daytime temperatures and plenty of cool summer nights. That sort of weather can produce wines of flavor, balance and structure -- exactly what we've seen over the course of our barrel tastings the past several months. This year's Carneros District bottling includes fruit from the Sangiacomo Kiser Ranch, along with grapes from the lower elevation block of the El Novillero Ranch in the western foothills of the appellation. We've spiced things up a bit with the inclusion of grapes from the Yamakawa Vineyard, a breathtakingly beautiful parcel owned by a third generation grower family, just outside the town of Sonoma. Fondness for the great White Burgundy wines of France leads us to strive for a similar combination of fruit and minerality in our Chardonnay. We think we've succeeded here.