2022 Chardonnay
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Sensory
Eye
Canary yellow gold, brilliant diamond-like clarity.Nose
Night-blooming jasmine, citrus blossom, and lemongrass with subtle secondary notes of butterscotch, amaretto, and lychee. Time in glass reveals early morning bakery, Scotch shortbread, nutmeg-spiced eggnog, and ethereal meringue.Palate
Satin texture, round and rich yet not cloying. Elegant and balanced on the palate.Cellar life
Drink now through 2030+. -
Technical
- Composition
100% Estate Grown Chardonnay - Vineyard source
Brown Estate - Appellation
Napa Valley - Barrel aging
8 months in 25% new French oak; 3 months sur lie - Alcohol by vol.
13% - Production
150 cases in 12 x 750ml format
- Composition
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Wherefore
Our Chardonnay vineyard is a bona fide outlier, residing at the far northwest corner of our estate property. The soil in this truly wild west vineyard is a dense gray clay, thick enough to pull your shoe off your foot should you venture out when it’s damp. At four acres it typically yields a mere two tons maximum per acre. The fruit extracts from the clay soil a terrifically complex minerality that sets the resulting wine apart from typical Napa Valley Chardonnay offerings. This technically is vintage no. 20, taking into account the skipped 2020 vintage due to that year’s wildfire impact.
