A Brief History:
At Frog’s Leap, we have been fortunate enough to work with the same Chardonnay vineyard ever since our first vintage in 1985. Planted by the renowned Truchard family in 1979, these vines are deeply rooted in the decomposed shale and sandstone that are characteristic of the steeply-sloped hillsides of Carneros, and lend themselves perfectly to the balanced, restrained style that is our signature. Held for less than 5 days in new French oak barrels, the wine is racked at the peak of its fermentation to concrete vessels, where it sits, untouched and sur lie, for up to 10 months. Grown in shale and aged in stone, our Chardonnay boasts incredible freshness and a distinct mineral edge that speaks directly to its origins.
About the Wine:
A winemaker is always loathe to say that any particular wine—even given the highest quality of the vintage—approaches his or her ideal of that varietal. And I will not say that about our 2018 Chardonnay, but I am darn close.
The description “Shale and Stone” on the 2018 label is reflective of nearly a decade of experimentation (mostly unlearning what I knew about Burgundian winemaking technique) to arrive at a style that celebrates the deep minerality of its ancient fractured shale soils and preserves the freshness of the varietal with long sur lie aging in concrete.
The result is this stunning 2018 Chardonnay: taut but generous, full yet bright on the palate. Flavorful but not obvious. I am excited.
- ALcohol: 13.2%
- TA: 5.8 g/L
- pH: 3.39