Winemaker Notes
Intense orange blossom, lemon custard, and jasmine burst from the glass of the 2021 ‘Belle Cote.’ This highly aromatic bouquet continues with rose petal and lychee underlain by orange marmalade bass notes. The rich entry and dense mid-palate show the depth created by our oldest Chardonnay vines. Hints of orange peel, pastry, and lemon curd lead to a long, polished finish. ‘Belle Cote’ can be enjoyed in its exuberant youth or after decades of cellaring.
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of Wente clone skin with pears and apples as well as lime and lemon. Some hot stone and chalk. Full-bodied and very layered. It’s captured the essence of this classic chardonnay clone. The wood is very low impact. Like eating perfectly ripened grapes. Superb length on a gorgeous finish, One of the best ever.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chardonnay Belle Côte is bursting with gregarious scents of candied peaches and apricot, roasted almonds, matchstick, spring honey and glossy yet integrated new oak spices. The palate is silky and bright despite its deep core of ripe, youthfully coiled fruit, and it has a long, flinty finish. It unfolds and changes with time in the glass, and with all that concentration and freshness it's a great candidate for extended cellaring. Rating : 97+
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Wine Spectator
This has an impressive presence while still showing plenty of finesse to the apricot pastry, vanilla cream and orange blossom flavors, with details of nutmeg, crisp citrus and marzipan on the finish.
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.
A small and picturesque valley separating Napa Valley on its south border and Alexander Valley to its north, Knights Valley excels in similar varieties as the two aforementioned appellations, namely red Bordeaux varieties and blends, as well as Sauvignon blanc. Originally established by Beringer Vineyards, today several outstanding producers claim acreage here. The circadian cooling effects of the nearby Pacific Ocean create a nighttime respite for vineyards during the hot growing season.