Winemaker Notes
Hoopes calls this one the Goldilocks Chardonnay—not too rich, not too lean, just right. A blend of Carneros freshness and Yountville warmth, this wine walks the line beautifully, offering both structure and softness in perfect balance. Aged in a thoughtful mix of neutral French oak, stainless steel, and amphora clay—each vessel brings something special: texture, purity, and a grounded elegance. The result is a bright and inviting Chardonnay that opens with the cozy scent of warm toasted hazelnuts and crème brûlée fresh from the oven. On the palate, look for juicy cantaloupe, zesty lime, and a supple, lingering finish of pear, almond, and citrus.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
From a single vineyard in Yountville, this wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel, did not go through malolactic but did receive micro-oxidation treatment. Steely, fresh and tangy, it’s a very refreshing, mouthwatering un-oaked chardonnay. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2022 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) is a terrific wine in this vintage. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint, chalk and white pepper are nicely delineated. The inspiration here is Chablis, and while this wine does not taste like Chablis, it does deliver tons of nuance in a style that deftly marries tension with Napa Valley sunshine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made entirely in stainless steel, but with plenty of lees work and some micro-oxidation, the 2022 Chardonnay features scents of lemon, lime, pineapple and green apple (there's no malolactic fermentation). Medium-bodied, the wine is crisp, clean, bright and refreshing.
At Hoopes Family Vineyard and Winery, the love of wine and farming are priority number one. Family owned and operated, dedicated to crafting wines that seamlessly capture the relationship between grape-grower and winemaker. The wines marry old-world-farming and taste profiles with new-world fruit flavors and ripeness. Since 1999, the goal with the flagship Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon has been to capture the truest expression of the old-vine vineyard's terroir. Planted in 1983 by Spencer Hoopes, it was previously a fruit source for a number of famous estates until the winemaking began being done in house. When the second-generation Proprietor Lindsay Hoopes took the reins, she hired Heidi Barrett prodigy Anne Vawter as Winemaker. Anne broadened the scope to include very limited production Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Chardonnay, Syrah and Merlot, showcasing the diverse appellations of Napa Valley. Along with Dante’s Block, the Reserve Cabernet named after our beloved canine mascot, these boutique wines are only available direct from the winery.
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.