Winemaker Tasting Notes:
The color is a very light vibrant yellow, with a wonderful aroma of freshly sliced apples. The acid level is simply perfect, with a soft middle and fruity crispness at the finish. The wine is lively on the palate and brings joy to the drinker. And that, after all, is the first obligation of wine - bringing pleasure to the person that drinks the wine. Whereas the 2005 vintage was a very large wine, with powerful flavors that dominated, the 2006 Chardonnay is a wine characterized by exceptional balance and elegance on the palate.
Vineyard Notes:
The steep mountain vineyards are dry-farmed: this centuries-old tradition means that there is no supplemental irrigation for the vineyard—only what nature provides as rainfall. Dry-farming allows the vines to come into balance with nature by sending their roots deep into the volcanic mountain soil, allowing the vines to mature their fruit as nature intended. Although this means a smaller yield of grapes, this insures the best quality grapes.
Technical Notes:
At Smith-Madrone our goal is to make artisanal wines which are distinctive and are an expression of both the vintage and us, as vintners, but above all else, are wines which bring pleasure to the senses.
| Appellation: |
Napa Valley |
| Age of Vines: |
35 years |
| Farming: |
Dry-farmed mountain vineyard
|
| Varietal Content: |
100% Chardonnay |
| Oak: |
11 months in new American oak |
| Alcohol: |
14.3% |
| Production: |
1171 cases |