Tether Chardonnay 2017
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Tether Napa Valley Chardonnay possesses seductive aromas of jasmine, crushed limestone rock, quince, white peaches, tropical fruit and toasted coconut. This full-bodied Chardonnay is remarkably finessed and polished. There is balanced acidity on the palate and tremendous depth and length on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A new wine for this label, the 2017 Tether Chardonnay is a big, rich, barrel-fermented Chardonnay from vines next to Carneros. It has rocking notes of stone fruits, honeyed citrus, white flowers, and classy oak. Brilliantly done, medium to full-bodied, and just a screaming deal, drink it over the coming 2-4 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay comes from a vineyard in south Napa, adjoining the Carneros AVA. It sashays out of the glass with powerfully fragrant guava, honeydew melon and apricot tart notes with touches of beeswax, marzipan and candied ginger. Medium to full-bodied, the creamy textured palate is packed with bold, tropical flavors with plenty of freshness and lovely savory sparks on the long finish. 582 cases produced.
Other Vintages
2019-
Robert
Parker
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.