Nose
Our 2015 Generations Chardonnay offers seductive tropical floral and
blanched almond aromas with hints of guava nectar and freesia.
Palate
Rich
and viscous, flavors of crème brulée, Madagascar vanilla and allspice
spread across the palate. This full wine has a rounded, toasty mouthfeel
with balanced acidity, great structure and well integrated oak.
Growing Conditions
The grapes for the Generations Chardonnay come from our estate
vineyards in Jameson Canyon and a select vineyard in the Atlas Peak
appellation. The estate vineyards are planted on rolling hills at the
southern end of Napa Valley. The growing conditions in the Jameson
Canyon are very similar to Carneros, the neighboring appellation just
west of the Napa River. Winds flow through Jameson Canyon, carrying
in the cooling influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean and providing a
long, cool growing season that enhances the intensity of the
Chardonnay flavors.
The 2015 harvest was lighter than the previous year but still early and
of exceptional quality. Despite a summer marked by wildfire and
another year of drought this vintage has been deemed excellent
statewide and the lighter volume will not have an impact on supply for
California wine lovers nationwide. Picking began for some began as
early as August and most of the valley was finished by the end of
October, well ahead of schedule.
Winemaking
A mix of specialized Old Wente and Dijon, our 2015 Generations
Napa Valley Chardonnay was whole cluster pressed and fermented in
French oak barrels with 100% native yeast fermentation and achieved
100% native malolactic fermentation.
Aging
The wine was then aged for 15
months in 70% new French oak (Francois Frere) with sur-lie aging for
a creamy texture and broader mouthfeel before being bottled unfiltered.
