Nuttiness of hazelnut and almond balance fresh peach, nectarine and lemon. The mouth is full and lush but with a definitive line of energy and citrus to brighten it up. This Chardonnay is super clean and refreshing, while still rich and round – a proper Napa Chardonnay.
Fermented in French Oak, 20% new. The lees were stirred once a week for the 11 months this wine was in barrel, which gives it the weight and structure on the palate. Filtered with a plate and frame filter before bottling. 38% Malolactic fermentation.
2019 Chardonnay, Tate Wine
$34.00
This Chardonnay is grown in Dillon Vineyard in Yountville, Napa Valley. It sits in a fog pocket which means the cool fog in the morning just hangs there and lasts a long time, causing the Chardonnay to ripen more slowly than in other parts of the valley. Often this vineyard is not picked until October, which to give you some perspective is about a month later than most other people are picking Chardonnay in Napa. Fruit that ripens slowly like this starts out with more complex flavors because the sugar and acid both evolve in a more integrated way, as opposed to Chardonnay in a heat spike which causes sugar levels (Brix) to go up at a disproportionate rate from the acid so you get less interesting flavor profiles.
The other even cooler (haha) thing about Dillon Vineyard is that it was planted about 40 years ago by Terry Dillon. He is a bit of a Napa renegade and was really irritated when his vineyard got phylloxera and decimated his vines. He replanted his three acres of Chardonnay with three different rootstocks and three different Chardonnay clones. So essentially this vineyard is a Chardonnay Field Blend which is something pretty unheard of. The effect is that the Chardonnay has a vast array of flavors and qualities that would be impossible to reproduce if you were working with just one clone. I always think of clones similarly to tomatoes. So think about a tomato salad that has just early girls, it sounds delicious. But now add in 4 more kinds of tomatoes- your salad just got more interesting.