2024 Carneros Chardonnay

The foundation for the Carneros Chardonnay is Frank Family’s Lewis Vineyard, touching the shores of the San Pablo Bay in Napa-Carneros. Lewis Vineyard consists of 78 acres planted on gently rolling hills, with 68 acres dedicated to Chardonnay. The predominant maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean creates the cool temperature, fog, and wind that make Carneros ideally suited for growing cool-climate varieties. The restricting soils result in extremely low yields, producing grapes with strong character and balanced acidity. Other fruit sources for this wine include Beckstoffer Vineyards located in Napa-Carneros and Sangiacomo Vineyards located in Sonoma-Carneros.

As with all our white wines, our goal is texture and complexity. To achieve this, we practice a long, cold fermentation. We then put the wine through partial malolactic fermentation to soften the overall high acidity. While aging, we employ bâtonnage regularly to promote depth and longevity in the wine.