Winemaker's Notes:
#21 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2009
What a glorious vintage it was for Chardonnay in 2007! The spring was rainy and free of frost. The summer days were cool and dry, with evening temperatures sometimes bordering on the chilly. (I look back on it as the most comfortable summer I can recall in 35 years as a Napa Valley resident.) Those cool summer days are just perfect for the type of Chardonnay we make -- powerful, complex wines with high natural acid levels. Grapes from the Carneros district vineyards that went into this wine were harvested with higher than normal natural acidity, and the subsequent malo-lactic fermentation was especially vigorous. The result is a Chardonnay with a creamy texture and an attractive element of toast, or grilled bread, in the aroma. Most importantly, winemaker Tadeo Borchardt's efforts have given us a wine of great balance. The separate components are harmoniously joined together with no single characteristic dominating the final blend. The wine is flavorful without being awkward and satisfying without being extreme. We'd be thrilled to make a |