2022 Napa Valley Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
Oak Knoll fruit. A warm vintage – a drought year – especially at the end of the season. From one of the three original vineyards that went into the 1973. The Barretts have been farming this vineyard since 2003, but the lease expires at the end of this decade, so they have bought a property in northern Carneros to take its place. Aged for 10 months in French oak, 25% new. Pale greenish gold. Lively as well as rich on the nose. Masses of acidity! Very distinctive, almost pinched on the end. Not ready. Massive grip, though it opened out a little in the glass on the end. Slightly burgundian but extremely introvert for now. (JR)
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
About the producer
Chateau Montelena is a historic Napa Valley estate that rose to global fame after its 1973 Chardonnay won the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Renowned for both its Chardonnay and Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, the winery continues to produce elegant, age-worthy wines with a legacy of excellence.