Materra Chardonnay 2017
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Winemaker Notes
This Chardonnay pairs well with fruit salads and desserts, grilled fish, barbeque chicken, linguine and clams, semi-soft and hard cheeses and dishes enhanced with almonds, cashews or lemon.
Other Vintages
2021-
James
Suckling
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James
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Wine
Enthusiast
Each Materra wine is a perfect expression of the land, the grapes, the passion the Cunat family has invested in each bottle and the unyielding quality delivered consistently by the growing conditions and terroir of the Napa Valley. Brian and the entire Cunat family look forward to sharing their dreams with you over a glass of Materra.
Materra (a rough translation of Mother Earth in Latin) is not only the name of the wine but also represents the family’s commitment to finding the best soils, climates and water, nurturing these elements and embracing and enhancing Mother Earth’s gifts to produce some of the highest quality grapes and wines from the Oak Knoll district of Napa Valley.
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.
As one of Napa’s coolest sub-appellations, the area begs for diversity among its vineyards. Merlot and Chardonnay firmly compete with Cabernet Sauvignon for a place here. Some of Napa’s best Zinfandels also come from the Oak Knoll District.
Situated far in Napa’s southern end, Oak Knoll receives a strong cooling influence from both the San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Coast’s evening fog and breezes. Summer days are warm but on average ten degrees cooler than in St. Helena farther north up the valley; summer nights are chilly. A long growing season promotes for leisurely ripening of grape berries, resulting in an impressive balance of sugars, phenols and acidity.
Notable producers include Trefethen, one of the appellation’s oldest wineries, Robert Biale, legendary Zinfandel producer and Lewis Cellars, a family-run, hands-on establishment.