Let’s give Truchard, a winery that flies low under the radar, the credit they deserve. This is a powerful, concentrated Chardonnay, the product of winter drought followed by a cool spring, steady summer, and one of the earliest harvests on record. Truchard is an established Napa grower and long-time supplier of the Valley’s best wineries. Chardonnay vines, 19 to 41 years old, grow in the southern part of the Estate vineyard. Here, they benefit from mineral-rich ancient marine soil, gently sloped terrain, and cool temperatures, conditions that make Carneros an ideal home for the varietal. The Chardonnay grown here is aromatic and uniquely spicy, with lush tropical fruit.

Upon arrival at the winery, fruit was whole-cluster pressed, a technique that produces a full-bodied wine with delicate structure. Truchard’s Chardonnay is entirely barrel-fermented in French oak (33% new). Following fermentation, the wine rested sur lie for ten months, undergoing partial malolactic fermentation (to retain its natural acidity) and regular battonage (to add complexity, richness, and texture).

The result is a wine with aromas of quince, pineapple, honeysuckle, nutmeg, and toasted oak. The palate is clean and bright, filled with flavours of green apple, pear, and lemon. Firm acidity provides a crisp finish with lingering citrus, minerality, and spice.