TASTING NOTES
The Chardonnay has lovely notes of white flowers and fresh peach, an initial crispness with creamy mid-pallet, and a long finish that brings to mind fruits such as apricot, white peach and a delicious hint of citrus. This wine can be paired with many foods, including seafood, sushi, and various cheeses.
WINEMAKING NOTES
The Chardonnay has lovely notes of white flowers and fresh peach, an initial crispness with creamy mid-pallet, and a long finish that brings to mind fruits such as apricot, white peach and a delicious hint of citrus. This wine can be paired with many foods, including seafood, sushi, and various cheeses.
VINTAGE NOTES
Coquerel Chardonnay grew in a lovely vineyard planted near the Napa River in the well-draining soil of Yountville. Vintage 2011 is the first vintage of Coquerel Chardonnay. The vintage of 2011 was very similar to that of the previous vintage, which is considered by many as one of the most challenging ever for winegrowing. 2011 started with a rainy winter and spring, which lead to late bud break. The last rain occurred in the middle of bloom for most varietals. Consequently, the fruit set was very poor. Some growers lost 50% to 75% of their crops as a result. The summer of 2011 was similar to that of 2010; we had cold and foggy mornings, a good deal of humidity, and various pests to battle. These two most recent wine growing seasons the pests have been extremely challenging to control. As with the harvest of 2010, harvest of 2011 left some growers with little or no useable crop. Fortunately, this Chardonnay vineyard had a vertical trellis allowing light exposure and airflow to the Chardonnay fruits. This aided in pest management and promotion of ripening.