Hess Collection Napa Chardonay 2021

NAPA VALLEY CHARDONNAY

The San Pablo Bay brings morning fog and cool breezes to southern Napa Valley, creating one of the coolest growing regions in Napa. This weather influence is responsible for our Chardonnay grapes maintaining well balanced acidity and moderate sugar levels. Vineyard sites are chosen to support a diverse selection of Chardonnay plantings and well-drained soils, giving winemaker Dave Guffy the freedom to add layers of complex flavors to the wine.

TASTE WITH THE WINEMAKER

"In order to highlight the beautiful structure of our Napa Valley Chardonnay, we barrel fermented for 10 months on 33% new French oak, to complement the fresh flavors of white peach and the bright acidity. While barrel aging, we stirred the wine on its lees to add complexity and roundness. Our Hess Collection Napa Valley Chardonnay opens with beautiful aromas of green apple and vanilla accented by a hint of toffee. The delicious flavors of fresh white peaches harmonize with an elegant creaminess across the palette, while a backbone of bright acidity carries the nuanced mouthfeel. All enveloped with a beautiful finish of subtle vanilla, baking spice and toffee notes."

– Dave Guffy, Director of Winemaking

VINTAGE NOTES

Vintage 2022 started out warm, with budbreak beginning as early as Valentine's Day. Winter provided minimal rainfall so we knew it would be a challenging, yet rewarding season. We were limited in the number of clusters per vine, but were able to nurture those clusters throughout the moderate summer. A long veraison was followed by an intense heat event in early September which turned our slow ripening into a much quicker harvest than anticipated. Overall 2022 was full of challenges, but still made outstanding fruit through the adversities.