Signorello Vieilles Vignes Chardonnay 2008
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Wine Enthusiast
An intense, nervy Chardonnay, grown on the estate along the Silverado Trail. Shows good acidity and a minerality that makes it elegant and firm, giving a bracing structure to the oak-inspired flavors of pineapple tart, peaches and cream.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From his winery just off the Silverado Trail in southern Napa Valley, Ray Signorello has fashioned two more brilliant Chardonnays. The 2008 Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes Estate is one of those rare California Chardonnays that come from vines nearly 30 years of age. Exotic, restrained but authoritative scents of nectarines, tangerines and orange blossoms emerge from this light straw/gold-colored wine. Full-bodied with zesty acidity, lots of minerality and a rare intensity in the mid-palate, this impressive, structured Chardonnay's framework is reminiscent of a red wine's. It should drink nicely for at least 3-4 years, possibly a decade given its singular style. The wood is completely hidden by the wealth of fruit intensity.
Raymond Signorello Sr. and his son, Raymond Jr, founded Signorello Vineyards in 1985. The are producers of estate grown and produced varietals including Seta, a proprietary blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc; Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Signorello's Padrone is dedicated to Ray Signorello Sr. who passed away in 1998, a visionary whose dreams became a reality in the wines at Signorello. The grapes used for this Bordeaux blend are sourced from an extemely rocky portion of the estate vineyards yeilding a mere 1.5 tons per acre. The 1999 Padrone is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 8.5% Cabernet Franc and is fitting tribute to the life of Ray Signorello Sr. - the Padrone.
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.