Franciscan Estate Chardonnay

”Aging: Seven months sur lie in small French and American oak barrels; 27% new oak Sensory evaluation: Appearance: Pale yellow Aromas: Rich with bright fruit. Minerals and cream with honeyed pear-apple. Flavors: Bright and vibrant palate shows rich flavors evoking apple galette honey and creamy vanilla bean. Full and round with a rich mouthfeel and a long finish of Asian pear with toasty oak notes. Winemaker’s notes: With Chardonnay Franciscan Estate looks for the sort of richness and opulence that malolactic fermentation and sur lie aging in oak barrels bring. They help to deliver that delicious creamy complexity for which Franciscan Estate Chardonnay is known. But Chardonnay also needs a foundation a structure for all that richness and fruit. Minerality is essential. So we turn to cooler vineyards in southern Napa Valley particularly the Carneros District where the soil is dense clay. The result is grapes that offer impressive structure and mineral flair. -Janet Myers W