Keenan Chardonnay 2018
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Spirits
Wine & -
Dunnuck
Jeb
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Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Chardonnay features notions of applesauce, honeydew melons and warm apricots with touches of brioche, chopped almonds and cedar. Medium-bodied, the palate has a refreshing line lifting the toasty/savory flavors, finishing on a fruity note
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Michael Keenan farms a large block of chardonnay adjacent to his winery on Spring Mountain, the vines planted in 1995, close enough to underground springs that they provide an abundant crop without irrigation. His 2018 is intriguing and layered, a complex mountain-grown chardonnay with an earthy tannic briskness to sustain it. The flavors range from lime to yellow apple and green plum, firm enough to absorb the oak in which it aged, and to last, with the cool pallor of a morning sun wine. Best Buy
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Jeb Dunnuck
Starting with the 2018 Chardonnay, which is all from Spring Mountain, it offers a pretty bouquet of bright citrus, tangerine, and orange blossom to go with a medium-bodied, racy style on the palate. With plenty of acidity, good ripeness of fruit, and a great finish, it's going to keep for a solid 7-8 years.
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While the beauty and history of the land are appealing, it is the richness of the soils that makes the hillside perfect for an estate winery. These soils are, in great measure, responsible for the dramatic intensity of the fruit associated with the ultra-premium wines produced at Robert Keenan Winery.
Keenan completed a solar power system on their property that went on-line in 2007. The system supplies all of the estate’s energy needs, including the winery, administrative offices, visitor hospitality area, and the homes located on the property. The Napa Valley Vintners have recognized Keenan as a “green” winery, which they proudly announce on the back labels: Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed.
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.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.