Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Franciscan Estate Chardonnay is a bright, approachable white wine grown in California. Hints of freshly sliced pineapple and lemon flower greet the nose. With no oak aging or malolactic fermentation, the wine feels refreshing on the palate with juicy notes of pear and apple. A wonderful texture gives the wine a plushness that carries through to a refreshing finish.
This Chardonnay is delicious with cracked crab squeezed with lemon or sweet and sour pineapple chicken.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Specially selected vineyards throughout California's cool coastal regions yielded the grapes in this crisp white. Fermented in stainless steel, it displays a richness and brightness in flavor and mouthfeel, The perfume of pear banana lemon chiffon, and chamomile is delicate, and cinnamon and vanilla leave a creamy trace on the tongue Focused and clean, with a nuance of toasted coconut and cedar on the Fish
California’s most praised white wine, Chardonnay is also the state’s most planted white grape variety. Diverse terrain and microclimates allow for an incredible range of wine styles.
Chardonnay planted in the cooler, coastal zones takes on bright characteristics like lemon zest, key lime, green apple and wet flint. For this style, look to the chilly Sonoma Coast, Carneros, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands and Edna Valley.
The inland zones of California’s coast, such as the Russian River, Sonoma, Napa and Livermore Valleys maintain a more Goldilocks-esque climate where both styles go. Early picking retains acidity and creates a leaner style but leaving the grapes to hang creates an approachable Chardonnay, balancing richness and finesse.
Chardonnay also plays a major part in the sparkling wine production of the Anderson Valley and Carneros.