Ferrari-Carano Reserve Carneros Chardonnay
2021, Carneros, Napa Valley, USA
About the Wine
THE VINTAGE The winter of 2020-2021 had minimal rainfall and mild temperatures leading to drought conditions in Sonoma County. With a warmer than average winter and spring, budbreak was 2 weeks ahead of average. Summer was warm and dry, with a few short heat spikes. The warm weather resulted in beautifully ripened fruit and the earliest harvest Ferrari-Carano has ever had, August 16th! The white grape harvest was finished on October 8th. HOW IT’S MADE Hand-picked grapes are whole cluster pressed into stainless steel tanks where the juice is cold settled for 24 hours. The juice is then racked and transferred to French oak barrels (35% new) for fermentation. After barrel fermentation, the wine is sur lees aged with bi-weekly stirring for 6 months. The wine is pumped to tank and blended in July, then returned to barrels for an additional 5 months of aging before bottling. This wine has undergone 98% of malolactic fermentation.
Tasting Notes
This wine entices with aromas of baked apple, caramel popcorn, apricot, quince, toasted marshmallow, and buttercream. Elegant, upfront ripe flavors of Bartlett pear, peach cobbler, graham cracker, butterscotch follow with baking spice on the smooth finish.
Pairing Notes
In addition to a wide variety of appetizers, shellfish and poultry dishes, Reserve Chardonnay pairs perfectly with richer foods that enhance this fuller bodied and deliciously creamy wine.