Franciscan Estate Chardonnay 2009
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The 2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay is pale yellow in color with aromas of vibrant Fuji apple, ripe pear, and white nectarine fruit layered with rich notes of cream, toasted hazelnut, and vanilla On the palate, it is bright, with pear-apple notes, citrus, and honey. Silky and round mouthfeel, with rich crème brûlée highlights and a finish of mineral and cream that lingers.
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Wine Spectator
This is clean and well-made if simple, with clean, delicate and modest flavors of pear, melon and citrus. Drink now through 2014. 58,987 cases made.
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Franciscan was founded in 1972 by a group of lawyers and doctors from San Francisco who decided to try turning their passion for wine into a business. In 1985, Agustin Huneeus, a Chilean exile who had built Concha y Toro in his native country, took over the helm at Franciscan. Huneeus refocused the winery on using the superlative grapes growing in its own vineyards, rather than sourcing from outside.
Today, Franciscan's wines are crafted under the exacting eye of Janet Myers, who came to Franciscan in August 2003 as associate winemaker after working in the Margaret River region and Beaulieu Vineyard, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Louis Martini. The winery remains committed to its tradition of small-lot winemaking, with small batches averaging just 150 to 1,500 cases. The image of a hand-operated wine press on Franciscan's logo and wine labels reflects this small lot approach to winemaking.