Hill Family Estate Chardonnay, Carly's Cuvee 2016, Napa Valley, California

Composition: 94% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Viognier and 2% Muscat Canelli. Vineyards: Windy Flats, Watson and Stewart Ranch. Cooperage: Stainless Steel. “The 2019 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is largely from the Windy Flats Vineyard in the western foothills of Wooden Valley. It is in a dramatic landscape of rock and cliff, with just enough soil between the marl out crops for a few acres of vines. Doug Hill chose 3 clones and carefully selected the rootstalks for this vineyard so that it offers highly aromatic aromas and layers of complexity and interest. We also added in the Watson Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, as its acidity and cool climate chemistry are a great match for Windy Flats. 2019 was a moderate growing year, with lots of rain in the winter, and warm weather in August and September. We brought in the Windy Flats Sauvignon Blanc on September 9 and the Watson fruit on September 19. The lots were whole cluster pressed, and fermented cold with VL3 yeast, then the wine was allowed to rest on the lees until bottling in January 2020.” Winemaker Alison Doran’s stasting notes: Bright and fresh, with flavors and aromas of peach, lemon curd, white grapefruit, and passion fruit and balanced notes of citrus and stone fruit. The mid-palate is full, and the finish is lengthy and crisp.