2019 Reserve Chardonnay

Description

Bouchaine’s 100-acre estate vineyard lies on the southern border of Napa Valley’s Carneros district, overlooking the San Francisco bay with the financial district in the distance. Fog, wind, and the cold night time temperatures of this unique geographical area lend a distinctive regional identity to our Chardonnay.

Growing Season
The 2019 growing season will be remembered as a “Goldilocks” vintage. Not too cold, not too hot . . . but just right. Late rains in May had growers biting their nails as these storms can cause damage to vines that are flowering, leading to reduced crop loads. However, sunshine won that battle and the rains disappeared giving way to a long, consistent growing season throughout the summer. No major heat events appeared during harvest time which gave us beautiful ripening at an even pace. Juuuust right.

Vinification
Our intention is to create a concentrated, lush style of Chardonnay. That effort is checked somewhat by the leaner essence of Carneros. The crisp citrusy nature of the grapes denies the unctuousness associated with these stereotypical buttery-styled California wines. None the less, full malolactic, new oak barrel fermentation, and sur lie aging provides a rich contrast to our Estate Chardonnay and a fascinating exercise in wine styling. 

Tech Sheet