Chardonnay (Napa)
There are many ways to get from Sonoma wine country which is most of the county to Napa wine country which is seemingly nearly all of the county, but as we are drinking Chardonnay today, it seems to make sense to simply stay in the Carneros or Los Carneros AVA which straddles both counties. Almost immediately, we see a striking difference. While vineyards in Sonoma are fairly well spread out, in Napa, they are nearly wall to wall. Driving on Highway 29 or Silverado Trail as well as the streets that connect them, it's almost rare to see a driveway that's not an entrance to a winery or at the very least, a wine-related business.
Ultimately, Napa is known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet, in the Judgement of Paris, a wine battle staged in 1976 by famed wine critic Stephen Spurrier (not the football coach) in which California Cabernets competed with some of the best red wines of Bordeaux and California Chardonnays competed with some of Burgundy's finest, it was really the Chardonnay that put Napa on the map. While Stag's Leap's Cabernet nipped Chateau Mouton-Rothschild to win the competition for finest red wine, California reds mostly trailed the pack. But, in the Chardonnay competition, the Califotnia wines dominated with the winner being Chateau Montelena (if you're interested in seeing just how that competition with focus on the white wines went down, I'd encourage you to watch the movie, "Bottle Shock," an only slightly sensationalized story about Montelena's trip to the top of the podium.
All that said, in a county where Cabernet is king, winemakers have decided for the most part that if you're going to Napa, you want rich wines with lots of mouth feel. So, many Napa Chardonnays go through full malolactic fermentation. And, because they often have plenty of it for their red wine endeavors, they tend to use American oak barrels, often heavily toaasted.
So, gives us the character of the traditional Napa Chardonnay. It's silky and a bit buttery and often has vanilla notes to go with the butter.
Chardonnay, however, is not a hot climate growth. And, in Napa Valley, particularly in this century, summers have been hot and dry. So, Napa Chardonnay tends to be grown in one of three places -- Carneros, Coombsville to its east, and on the various mountains of the county, Mt. Veeder in particular.
From Carneros, we expect a bit softer wine than the others often exhbibiting often coming across as a vanilla butter cake with a topping of tropical fruit, but rarely the orchard fruit of apple and pear so common in Burgundian Chardonnay. Winemakers using Chardonnay from Carneros tend to use new American oak and put their wines through full malolactic fermentation.
On the mountains, the Chardonnay is more heavily stressed by the rocky soils and gives us more of the orchard fruit so characteristic in Bourgogne. Additionally, while it's difficult to generalize, these winemakers seem more likely to use French oak as their wines often command higher prices anyway. The change from American to French oak yields more spice and less of the softer vanilla and coconut.
Coombsville AVA, given status in 2011, is home to some of the highest quality Chardonnay in the US, if not the world. Sitting in the far southern end of the valley, east of Carneros and bordering San Pablo Bay, the typical soil is gravelly with significant volcanic ash from Mt. George. Expect highly refined Chardonnay with extensive minerality and lots of tropical fruit. From the standpoint of a classical wine critic, this is likely the finest Chardonnay-producing AVA in the county. Of course, your tastes may be very different and therefore so will be your opinions.
Enjoy your Napa Valley Chardonnay with almost anything but red meat. But, vary your seasonings based on the specific origins of the grapes.
Ultimately, Napa is known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet, in the Judgement of Paris, a wine battle staged in 1976 by famed wine critic Stephen Spurrier (not the football coach) in which California Cabernets competed with some of the best red wines of Bordeaux and California Chardonnays competed with some of Burgundy's finest, it was really the Chardonnay that put Napa on the map. While Stag's Leap's Cabernet nipped Chateau Mouton-Rothschild to win the competition for finest red wine, California reds mostly trailed the pack. But, in the Chardonnay competition, the Califotnia wines dominated with the winner being Chateau Montelena (if you're interested in seeing just how that competition with focus on the white wines went down, I'd encourage you to watch the movie, "Bottle Shock," an only slightly sensationalized story about Montelena's trip to the top of the podium.
All that said, in a county where Cabernet is king, winemakers have decided for the most part that if you're going to Napa, you want rich wines with lots of mouth feel. So, many Napa Chardonnays go through full malolactic fermentation. And, because they often have plenty of it for their red wine endeavors, they tend to use American oak barrels, often heavily toaasted.
So, gives us the character of the traditional Napa Chardonnay. It's silky and a bit buttery and often has vanilla notes to go with the butter.
Chardonnay, however, is not a hot climate growth. And, in Napa Valley, particularly in this century, summers have been hot and dry. So, Napa Chardonnay tends to be grown in one of three places -- Carneros, Coombsville to its east, and on the various mountains of the county, Mt. Veeder in particular.
From Carneros, we expect a bit softer wine than the others often exhbibiting often coming across as a vanilla butter cake with a topping of tropical fruit, but rarely the orchard fruit of apple and pear so common in Burgundian Chardonnay. Winemakers using Chardonnay from Carneros tend to use new American oak and put their wines through full malolactic fermentation.
On the mountains, the Chardonnay is more heavily stressed by the rocky soils and gives us more of the orchard fruit so characteristic in Bourgogne. Additionally, while it's difficult to generalize, these winemakers seem more likely to use French oak as their wines often command higher prices anyway. The change from American to French oak yields more spice and less of the softer vanilla and coconut.
Coombsville AVA, given status in 2011, is home to some of the highest quality Chardonnay in the US, if not the world. Sitting in the far southern end of the valley, east of Carneros and bordering San Pablo Bay, the typical soil is gravelly with significant volcanic ash from Mt. George. Expect highly refined Chardonnay with extensive minerality and lots of tropical fruit. From the standpoint of a classical wine critic, this is likely the finest Chardonnay-producing AVA in the county. Of course, your tastes may be very different and therefore so will be your opinions.
Enjoy your Napa Valley Chardonnay with almost anything but red meat. But, vary your seasonings based on the specific origins of the grapes.
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