Beaulieu Vineyard Chardonnay Carneros 07

Tasting Notes:
Our 2007 Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay displays vibrant stone fruit—peach, nectarine and apricot—character from our vineyards in the southern, coolest region of Napa Valley. Soft vanilla oak tones add complexity to the fruity aromas, silky flavors and lingering finish. This dry, crisply balanced wine makes the perfect prelude to a meal, especially with seafood appetizers or fruit and creamy cheeses. It’s an elegant complement to entrées, especially tarragon-crusted halibut, roast chicken or pork, and creamy pasta dishes.

Vineyard Notes:
We hand harvested 94% of the grapes for this wine from Beaulieu Vineyard Ranch No. 8 (42%), No. 9 (40%) and No. 5 (12%) in the Los Carneros American Viticultural Area (AVA), at the southern tip of Napa Valley. The balance came from vineyards on the Sonoma side of the Los Carneros appellation. The nutrient-lean, shallow clay soils and cooling breezes from the San Pablo Bay make this an exceptional region for Chardonnay. Our Chardonnay vines are grafted to Dijon clones 95 and 76 for small, deeply flavored berries and flavor complexity. We used small bins to prevent premature crushing and then rushed the grapes to our winery.

Production Notes:
After gently pressing the whole clusters, we fermented the juice entirely in small barrels for complexity. During the partial (25%) malolactic fermentation and sur lie barrel aging, we stirred (batônnage) the yeast lees to integrate the fruit, creamy malolactic and oak elements. Our winemaker chose French, Hungarian and American oak barrels for an array of oak spices to balance the delicious Chardonnay flavors.

Winemaker Notes:
Napa Valley’s 2007 harvest got off to an early start in mid-August with Sauvignon Blanc, the first variety to ripen, leading the way. We hand-harvested the grapes for our Chardonnay in the early mornings of late September, while the Carneros was still bathed in its famous fog. This nightly layer of marine fog keeps grape acids bright, while the sunny days developed rich, ripe flavors. The smaller-than-average Chardonnay crop was notable for its high flavor concentration and excellent balance.