Reynolds Family Winery Chardonnay 2021
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This crave-able Chardonnay comes from the Carneros region, bathed in subtle marine fog that coolly arrives from the Bay. The berries are perfectly round and firm, with satiny skins and a promise of pleasures to unfold. The aromatics are subtle, yet undeniable, with a medley of crisp apples, juicy Asian pear and light citrus framed by toasted meringue, custard and fresh coconut. Bright acidity adds a key dimension and delineation of flavors that leisurely linger on the palate. A perfect companion to a meal or a solo act, it will caress the palate and leave you in total sensory bliss.
Steve and his father dreamt of building a winery together and their vision became reality when he and his wife Suzie traded Steve's dental practice for the life of wine growers in 1994. The property was a 100-year old chicken ranch that needed lots of love but was full of potential. It took them over a year to clean up and begin renovations. Steve acted as general contractor, and he built everything from the fences to the tasting room.
The winery is Tuscan style, one of Steve's father's favorite winegrowing regions, and it is surrounded by 10 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, planted in 1996. They now create seven wines, including a Chardonnay, two Pinot Noirs (from the Russian River Valley and Los Carneros), a Merlot, the Estate Cabernet, a Reserve Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon and a red wine blend appropriately called "Persistence".
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.