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Tasting Notes
Layered, rich, creamy, and complex, this luscious Chardonnay is classically Californian with expressive aromas of citrus blossom, jasmine, and lemon curd, supported by more tropical ripe flavors of white nectarine, peach, and grilled pineapple. The well-integrated oak shows notes of brioche, vanilla, and ginger spice, leading to a long, mouth-watering finish with freshness and minerality.Technical Information
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Volume | 750mL |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Alcohol % | 15.1% |
Scores & Accolades
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98“This has a more reductive and flinty personality with sliced pears, apples, lemons and light cream. White flowers, too. Full-bodied and very agile on the palate, staying calm until the end when it kicks in and runs long. Toasty finish with acid and phenolic structure. Old Wente clone. Goes on for minutes. A wine for aging, but so good already. Drinkable, but better in two or three years.” - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
Winemaking
Each Chardonnay lot is kept separate throughout the aging process for this flagship wine. After sending the fruit directly to press, the juice is fermented in 100% French oak barrels for nine months to enhance the natural richness in the wine. Weekly lees stirring enhanced the toasty notes and integrated the oak flavors for an overall balance. The wine is barrel fermented, then put through malolactic fermentation to encourage a lush creaminess. After aging, the most expressive lots are chosen and blended to create a richly layered wine with aromas of crème brûlée and rich citrus and fruit flavors.Vineyard
Gamble Ranch is Beringer’s northernmost Chardonnay vineyard, the source for Private Reserve, located near the town of Yountville, in the Oakville AVA, where daytime temperatures slowly climb as the cooling morning fog recedes south to San Pablo Bay. This significant diurnal shift allows the grapes to maintain their acidity, which is essential to balancing the ripe, rich flavors as they develop during warm afternoons. Older vines featuring the Wente Clone 4 are dominant in this wine.