Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Do I remember the 1979 Far Niente Chardonnay? I bought three cases, and it was one of the most dramatic wines I had ever sold as a retailer. When I approached the 2017 vintage, my palate was recalling the passages of time. Though my notes are buried somewhere amongst hundreds of composition books, my memory remains fond and warm of those 30 years of Chardonnays. The 2017 vintage is quite fine. TASTING NOTES: This wine underscores the importance of cool grape growing regions in producing the best wines. Its aromas and flavors of dried peach, crisp apple, and oak accents will pair it nicely with shellfish in a lavish cream sauce. (Tasted: August 15, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Focused and elegant, this features notes of lemongrass to the green apple and ripe citrus flavors. The finish offers accents of dried sage and spice. Drink now through 2023.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.