Our First Los Carneros Chardonnay

Our Los Carneros Chardonnay is a very personal wine. Only 200 cases were made with the intention of having a beautiful Burgundian-style Chardonnay to share with friends and family. My father only wanted one thing in payment for helping with this year’s harvest: a case of the ’04 Chardonnay!

With a restrained use of oak and malolactic acid, it is the fruit that takes center stage in this Fantesca Chardonnay. Since only 1/3 of the wine carries the buttery characteristics of malolactic fermentation, the natural acidity and minerality of its exceptional fruit complements this wine’s lush tropical flavor. The fruit for this wine was harvested from two separate vineyards in the Los Carneros hills. Our family and winemaker personally selected the rows of grapes that produced this wine.

We are proud of the balance and power that await you as you anticipate tasting this Los Carneros Chardonnay. To our way of thinking, the challenge of making a great Chardonnay is to balance four legs of the table: lush fruit, crisp acidity, silky texture (malo), and the flavor and complexity of restrained oak fermentation. We knew we had accomplished our goal when we received the following note from our winemaker, Kirk Venge:

“‘Hey, that Chard is damn fine wine!’ – my wife Sarah’s words exactly. ‘I’m gonna get into trouble with this!!’ She absolutely flipped out. It has honey and citrus and tropicals all finely bound. The oak is very well-integrated to give it a Burgundian flair. I think this wine will be a hit!”

— Kirk Venge, Fantesca winemaker