2020 Estate Chardonnay

TASTING NOTES
The vibrant acidity and intense fruit that this site is known for are on full diplay, evoking fresh mandarin oranges, green apples, lemon curd with clotted cream, all wrapped in a saline breeze off the Bay. For as crisp as it is, the mouthfeel nonetheless round and full, and the finish complex and long.   

HISTORY
Poseidon Vineyard, located at the confluence of Carneros Creek and the Napa River, was planted in 1973 by the Molnar Family to the Burgundian varietals: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The maritime environment of the Carneros grape-growing season delivers cool, foggy mornings followed by warm days that slowly nurture ripening.

VINTAGE 2020
The season began with ideal conditions through the Spring and early Summer, without any major frost or heat events, allowing for uniform development and ripening. Yet few wines were produced in an infamous year notable for a global pandemic and multiple wildfires in the North Coast. Lightening-sparked fires in mid August fortunately had minimal impact on our vineyards, allowing us to harvest high-quality fruit from early-ripening varieties. Severe regional fires in late September, however, brought the season to an abrupt end.

WINEMAKING
The fruit was pressed whole-cluster in small batches over the course of two weeks. A portion of the juice was tank-fermented while other portions were barrel-fermented in large format Kádár barrels in our temperature-controlled cellar. Partial malolactic fermentation was completed only on the barrel-fermented portion to build up mouthfeel that helps to frame the natural acidity of the blend. The various components of these wines were finally blended right before bottling.

Alex Beloz, Winemaker