2023 Estate Chardonnay

TASTING NOTES
The vibrant acidity and intense fruit that this site is known for are on full diplay—particularly bright and citrusy in this vintage— yet mellowed somewhat by the roundness of texture that comes from aging in Hungarian oak. For as crisp as this wine is, the mouthfeel is lush and full, and the flavors and finish are fruitful and complex.

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 2023
Back to back years of ample rains replenished vines that had been struggling from many years of drought. This was generally great news for our vineyards and environment, and brought balanced flavors to the grapes. The pervasive breezy conditions at this seaside site ensured no concerns of mildew or botrytis despite the moisture throughout the season.

WINEMAKING
The fruit was pressed whole-cluster in small batches over the course of two weeks. A quarter of the juice was tank-fermented then aged in a single large oval cask. The remaining 75% was barrel-fermented and aged in large format 300LKádár barrels, 20% new. Most barrels use a proprietary low-medium toast using low heat over longer duration. Partial malolactic fermentation was completed on a portion of the barrel-fermented lots to build up mouth feel that helps to frame the natural acidity of the blend. The individual components of these wines were racked and blended just before bottling.

Alex Beloz, Winemaker