Beaulieu Vineyard

2020 Reserve Carneros Chardonnay

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A bottle of Reserve Carneros Chardonnay, on a plain background.
Beaulieu Vineyard

2020 Reserve Carneros Chardonnay

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750mL

Our 2020 Carneros Chardonnay is fresh and vibrant leaping from the glass with a bouquet of citrus aromas, white floral blossom, honeysuckle, and lifted notes of vanilla crème. The palate is layered and creamy with nuance and depth. Pleasing juicy fruit notes of candied lemon peel, pineapple, and white pear come through with a touch of white pepper spice and brioche toast from the delicate oak aging. Viognier adds hints of elderflower and a rich lanolin texture. Mouthwatering with a core of zesty acidity underpinning the luscious complexity of the wine. Finishing long, dry, clean, and refreshing, this wine invites you to sip, savor and repeat. Pairs wonderfully with a variety of dishes or enjoy on its own as the perfect aperitif.

Technical info

Alcohol 14.5%
Varietal Chardonnay
Blend 85% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier
Appellation Carneros
Oak treatment 92% barrel-fermented in French oak (20% new), 8% stainless steel. Barrel aged sur lie for 5 months; 55% of the wine completed malolactic fermentation

Winemaking

We harvested the Chardonnay and Viognier grapes into small bins at night and rushed them to our winery. After gently pressing the whole clusters, we barrel fermented most of the wine in small oak barrels to add layers of flavor and texture complexity, while a small percent went into stainless steel to preserve freshness and acidity. Once in barrel, stirring the lees (yeast) during five months of aging enhanced the silky mouthfeel, and integrated creamy nuances from partial malolactic fermentation. A small amount of fragrant Viognier is added to the blend, enticing floral nuances to the citrus fruit aromas.
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Vintage

The 2020 season was a warm, dry winter and the rain and cooler weather didn’t arrive until the end of March. While the mild spring season was a great early start, summer brought very cool mornings and very warm days. The white wine harvest started in late August, with the wines showing excellent development in the cellars, reflecting the fine vintage year. While the red wine harvest was smaller yielding, proving to be one of the most challenging in history, our winemakers remained optimistic and very complimentary of the high quality achieved from this unprecedented vintage. The resulting 2020 wines are of very high quality with concentrated flavors and excellent acidity, especially for varieties like Chardonnay.

Vineyard

We selected most of the grapes from our Beaulieu Vineyard Ranch No. 8 as well as some specific parcels from Ranch No. 9, where the vines, grafted to Dijon clones 95, 76 and Robert Young clone, yield small, intensely flavored berries. These Chardonnay vineyards are located in the cool, windy Los Carneros American Viticultural Area (AVA) at the southernmost tip of Napa Valley. The region’s shallow clay loam soils and marine-influenced climate foster ripe, beautifully balanced Chardonnay expression.

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