Francis Ford Coppola Director's Chardonnay 2011

The 2011 Director's Sonoma Coast Chardonnay delivers a beautiful fragrance that blends scents of pears, lemon curd, honeysuckle and ginger with bright juicy flavors of tart green apples, peaches and tangerine, all highlighted by a touch of crème brulée. Pairs beautifully with grilled halibut, fried clams, or a Chinese chicken salad.

This year our Director's Chardonnay hails from Sonoma Coast, an appellation that spans the Sonoma County coastline from Los Carneros in the south, all the way north to where Sonoma borders Mendocino. Soil diversity here contributes to the complexity of the wines, but the hallmark of this region is really the cool climate's fog and ocean breezes. Temperatures remain mild throughout the growing season yet the appellation receives more than enough sunlight hours to encourage slow ripening for more intense flavor development. We harvest in the early morning to retain the fruit's vibrant natural acidity, and then wholecluster press. The wine is barrel fermented to add richness and elicit a spiced vanilla character, and it also undergoes malolactic fermentation for a creamy mouthfeel.