2011 TEXTBOOK Chardonnay, "Fin de Journée", Napa Valley

Textbook Napa Valley Chardonnay

  • Hallmark provenance brings bright fruit, depth, creamy texture and zippy acidity
  • Exemplary viticultural practices provide beautiful clusters with perfect flavor and balanced maturity
  • Classic winemaking, whole-cluster press, new French oak barrels deliver delicious result

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ACCOLADES

2011 VINTAGE, EXCELLENT
"Bright yellow-gold. Fresh melon and nectarine on the nose and palate, with a honeyed nuance adding depth.  Broad and fleshy, with good heft to its melon and pit fruit flavors. Shows a touch of warmth on the finish, which leaves candied ginger and peach pit notes behind."
- Stephen Tanzers' International Wine Cellar, May/June 2013

2009 VINTAGE, GOOD VALUE!
– Wine Enthusiast Magazine

2009 VINTAGE, 89 POINTS
"The Textbook 2009 Chardonnay exhibits lots of poached pear, crushed rock/mineral and white peach notes, very good acidity and a perfumed, elegant style. A very good wine, displaying degrees of finesse and flavor. A new discovery for me, this offering from Jonathan and Susan Pey performed admirably in peer group tastings."
– Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

VINTAGE 2011

The characteristics of the 2011 vintage in Napa Valley showcase elegance and lower alcohol. This was due to a very long and cool season. Bud break was early and harvest was late. In between this was an erratic bloom which led to lower cluster weights and there were no heat spikes at all. Yields were down for the third year in a row but at harvest, the seeds were ripe, the skins were soft and the flavor was great – all at lower sugars.

VINEYARDS

Our “Fin de Journée” Chardonnay comes from two superb Napa Valley sites. The first is located in the Los Carneros AVA, near the cold San Pablo Bay and represents seventy-five percent of our release. Its long, cool season brings tropical and stone fruit aromas and flavors. The second site represents twenty-five percent of the blend, is located at the Yountville Crossroads, and is over 25 years old. These rugged, older vines deliver a fraction of the yield of today’s more prolific clones, but what is offered is exceptional, offering texture and aromatic complexity. Exemplary sustainable farming practices are employed in these sites, unevenly ripened bunches were hand culled reducing yield to less than 3 tons/acre.

WINEMAKING

Hand-picked Chardonnay clusters were field sorted into half-ton bins between October 9 and 12, then gravity-transferred into the press where a gentle whole cluster press cycle delivered a modest 155 gallons per ton. After settling, the juice was fermented in temperature-controlled stainless tanks (90%) and new French barrels (10%). Cultured yeasts finished off the indigenous fermentation. Nine months barrel maturation (10% new) with several battonage series (lees stirring), along with malo helped develop texture and its classic mouth-feel. Crisp, creamy and balanced, it expresses this cool vintage perfectly.

We call our Chardonnay “Fin de Journée” (“at the end of the day”) to express when we most enjoy drinking it. It shows bright fruit, subtle new French oak and a fresh, creamy texture; all in balance with fragrant and floral pear, melon and mineral notes. We think it is a “textbook” example of this noble variety grown in these outstanding Napa Valley sub-appellations.

WINE FACTS

Regional Composition: 100% Napa Valley AVA (Los Carneros 75%), Yountville AVA (25%)
Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay (Clones 4, 17, 95)
pH: 3.6
TA: 0.68 g/100mL
Alcohol: 12.9%

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