TASTING NOTES:
The grapes for the 2013 Reserve Chardonnay come primarily from our vineyard in Napa Valley Carneros. This wine entices with aromas of quince, apple, cinnamon, caramel, citrus, butter, vanilla and graham cracker complemented
by elegant, upfront flavors of pear, peach, crème brûlée and hazelnut with a lingering, toasted oak finish. The cool climate of Napa Valley Carneros imparts its unique finesse to the wine, while the Alexander Valley component adds an intensely rich mouth-filling character.
VINTAGE NOTES:
Overall, 2013 was a very good year with ideal weather conditions for the vines. Spring produced great set and average rainfall led to normal and above-normal yields. Consistently warm temperatures during the summer months without any heat spikes or major rain events allowed for longer “hang time” which led to fully ripe flavors.
WINEMAKER NOTES:
Each individual lot for this wine is hand picked, whole-cluster pressed and then cold settled for two days in stainless steel tanks before moving to French oak barrels for fermentation. The wine completes 100 percent malolactic fermentation and is sur lie aged in French oak barrels, with bi-weekly stirring for eight months until blending in June. Then the blended wine is aged an additional seven months in neutral French oak until bottling.
FOOD PAIRINGS:
In addition to a wide variety of appetizers, shellfish and poultry dishes, the Reserve Chardonnay pairs perfectly with richer foods that enhance this fuller bodied and deliciously creamy wine.
Alcohol: 14.2%
pH: 3.53
TA: 0.58
Another winner in the white wines is the 2013 Chardonnay Reserve, which spends a surprising 16 months in French oak prior to being bottled. This has been another winner from Ferreri-Carano, and one can understand its popularity, given the tropical fruit, honeysuckle, beautiful purity of character, and medium to full-bodied flavors in the stunning delicious-factor that also comes into play with this wine. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. - Robert Parker 91 Points
