Winemaker Notes
A26 is named for Marchese Antinori’s three daughters, Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia, and for the depth and freshness this 26th generation brings to Antinori Napa Valley legacy.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Light gold-hued, the 2023 Chardonnay A26 offers rocking aromatics of bright citrus, lemon blossom, crushed stone, and white flowers. Barrel fermented and aged six months in 83% new and 17% once-used French oak, it's medium-bodied and has a vibrant, focused mouthfeel with nicely integrated acidity and a great finish. It's a gorgeous, classic, impeccably made Chardonnay that should drink well for a decade.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay A26 is a serious, structured white. Lemon confit, chalk, mint, white pepper and dried herbs confer tons of savory nuance to this saline, imposing mountain wine. There's a ton of character here. This cold site yielded a wine of notable distinction. The airy style is quite appealing.
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.
Just northeast of Napa city, Atlas Peak boasts some of Napa Valley’s highest elevation vineyards. Here the intense sunlight coupled with cool, nighttime temperatures produce grapes that are perfectly ripe, balanced and concentrated. The appellation is rich in volcanic soils and excels in the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.