Arnot-Roberts Haynes Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 Front Bottle Shot
Arnot-Roberts Haynes Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 Front Bottle Shot Arnot-Roberts Haynes Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

The Haynes Vineyard was planted in 1967 by Pat and Duncan Haynes on a beautiful parcel of land that had been in their family since the 1800s. These were early days for Napa Valley viticulture and the cool, breezy Coombsville district was not even on the radar of most producers up-valley yet. The Haynes planted the Wente clone of Chardonnay on its own roots at the advice of Louis Martini Sr, a client of Duncan's law firm, and sold him grapes before starting their own Whitford Cellars under legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff. The vines have been continuously tended since 1971 by Fernando Delgado, who lives on the property. The vines enjoy a cooling effect from the nearby San Pablo Bay to the South, a rare cool clime in the Napa Valley. The soils are complex and diverse thanks to the folding of earth during the formation of the Mayacamas range. The soil is extremely rocky and austere, composed of volcanic alluvium and river cobble. Since 2020 Arnot-Roberts has been offered a few rows of this incredible vineyard and they jumped at the opportunity to shepherd some of this special fruit to bottle. 

Professional Ratings

  • 91

    The 2022 Chardonnay Haynes Vineyard comes from vines planted in Coombsville in 1967; they are the oldest Chardonnay vines in Napa Valley today. Barrel fermented and matured for 10 months in used French oak, it’s perfumed and youthful on the nose: pear blossom and white orchard fruit aromas are accented by touches of clover honey and cheese rind. The light-bodied palate is bright and energetic with understated, perfumed fruit and a long, transparent finish.

Arnot-Roberts

Arnot-Roberts

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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.

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Coombsville

Napa Valley, California

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Situated in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley in the Vaca range, the vineyards of the Coombsville AVA enjoy a long growing season mitigated by cool, San Pablo Bay fog.

PSLCAN372_2022 Item# 1690183