Winemaker Notes
All of the classic elements marry together in our fresh and vibrant 2016 Napa Valley Chardonnay. Upon its first impression, a bouquet of juicy peach fills the nose and undertones of toasted brioche hint at a subtle acquaintance with French oak. Expansive flavors of citrus, including mandarin orange and Meyer lemon, combine with bright acidity, yet beautifully balanced with a creamy mouthfeel on the palate. Refreshing on its own, this wine also has the texture and weight that make it ideal with food.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A matchstick aroma leads to a package of great flavor and texture in this white from a historic producer. Flavors of apple, lemon and peach accentuate the creamy mouthfeel, with a honed balance of acidity, tannins and oak. Editors’ Choice
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: My history with the Heitz Cellar Chardonnays goes back to the early 1970s, and while many of my notes are still in my composition books, I still recall the crispness of those wines. The 2016 vintage is reliving its heritage and then some. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright, crisp, and sassy. Its aromas and flavors of ripe apple and mineral notes are melding nicely together with a hint of oak textures. Pair it with shellfish in cream sauce. (Tasted: August 19, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
Poached pears and sweetly fragrant white flowers on the nose with an array of lightly tangy melon and peaches in the mouth. This is a supple, juicy and fruit-forward style. Drink now.
Renowned for crafting Napa Valley's first cult wines, Heitz Cellar is globally recognized as the crown jewel of American wine. The timeless post-Prohibition style of winemaking endures with esteemed winemaker, Brittany Sherwood, producing elegant and balanced wines sourced from 100% organic and biodynamic Napa Valley fruit. Pioneering pure varietal, single-vineyard wines that can age for decades, including the iconic Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Heitz Cellar wines hail from the region’s most premier vineyard sites including Oakville, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, St. Helena, and Oak Knoll. Family-owned since its founding in 1961, Heitz Cellar continues to embody the artistry and legacy of classic winemaking with single-vineyard wines that position it as one of the world’s leading wine estates.
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.