Duckhorn Napa Valley Chardonnay 2014
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wilfred
Wong -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This wine is well sourced, its grapes coming from Brown Ranch, Toyon and Trefethen, among other sites. Aging takes place partially in barrels that have been soaked in water before toasting to lessen the impact, and in stainless steel. Light, crisp honeyed apple, pear and vanilla star alongside caramel and a floral flourish.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A strong performance, the 2014 Duckhorn Vineyards Chardonnay is packed with beautiful ripe fruit and impressive sweet oak. All of the wine's elements meld together well. Drinks nicely now. (Tasted: September 13, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Duckhorn has produced a lush, honeyed style of Chardonnay in the 2014 Chardonnay that is reminiscent of a lower-level Meursault or Chassagne Montrachet. Apple butter, citrus, some honeysuckle, medium body and excellent purity, with some subtle background oak make for a delicious, complex Chardonnay to drink over the next 3-4 years.
Other Vintages
2022-
James
Suckling
-
James
Suckling -
Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Enthusiast
-
James
Suckling -
Wilfred
Wong
-
Wilfred
Wong -
Wine &
Spirits
-
James
Suckling -
Wilfred
Wong
-
James
Suckling -
Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine &
Spirits -
Wilfred
Wong
-
Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wilfred
Wong
-
Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Enthusiast
Founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has been crafting classic Napa Valley wines for nearly 40 years. This winemaking tradition has grown to include seven meticulously farmed Estate vineyards, located throughout the various microclimates of the Napa Valley. Focused on quality and consistency, these Estate vineyards are an essential element in making wines of distinction. Pioneering and perfecting Merlot as a premium varietal, Duckhorn Vineyards now makes several elegant Merlot and distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings that showcase its premium vineyard sites. Duckhorn Vineyards has been named one of the “Top 100 Wineries” in the world eight times by Wine & Spirits, and the 2014 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot Three Palms Vineyard was named the “2017 Wine of the Year,” topping Wine Spectator’s annual list of the world’s “Top 100 Wines.”
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.