Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Quartz Creek Chardonnay is the most refined Chardonnay they have ever crafted; notes of sea salt, Meyer lemon, tangerine zest, orange blossom, and wet stone are all supported by the tension and weight of pristine Chardonnay grown over a bed of Quartz rock. The brilliant acidity from early harvesting is balanced by the fullness that can only be achieved with 14 months of lees aging. A lower percentage of new oak, hovering around 10%, gives a lift to the wine while the 90% that was aged in neutral French oak ovals providing freshness and length. They are thrilled to introduce this exquisite wine as this vineyard’s inaugural release and to reintroduce Heitz Cellar as a grower of age-worthy, classically driven Chardonnay.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This is the first release of Heitz’s Quartz Creek chardonnay, a wine focused by an early harvest and limited influence of new oak (90 percent of the wine aged in neutral French oak ovals). It feels light and airy, with fresh acidity enlivening the nectarine and bright lemon flavors. It’s perfumed the way summery-ripe fruit openly shares its fresh aroma. A lovely direction for Napa Valley chardonnay.
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Wine Spectator
This big version is filled with vibrant acidity to the lithe mix of mineral, ginger and lemon tart flavors. Notes of dried green herbs midpalate lead to a minerally finish that is crisp and zesty. 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.
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.