Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay 2023
(Napa Valley, California) - [JS 93]

Notes from the Winemaker:
Over 40 years ago, Cakebread released its' very first wine: a 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay, and have been fine-tuning it ever since. Grapes for this wine come from the world-famous Carneros appellation in southern Napa Valley. This region sits just north of San Pablo Bay, whose influence provides the cool, windswept conditions that produce Chardonnay with ideal balance between fruit characters and acidity. Soils here are predominantly Haire Loam, a light clay that helps grapevines naturally regulate vigor for fruit of intense concentration. We harvested the grapes by night in small batches, and we press it directly into tank as whole clusters. We then transfer the juice into French oak barrels to ferment. In order to achieve maximum fruit expression, we aged the wine on its yeast lees for eight months with intermittent stirring to enhance texture and boost complexity.

TASTING NOTE: Our flagship Napa Valley Chardonnay opens with aromas of ripe green and golden apple, accented by fresh white peach and light oak. Across the palate, this golden wine is silken in texture with flavors of apple, citrus and pear balanced by refreshing acidity. The long finish is clean, with underlying hints of minerality, vanilla, and lemon.

FOOD PAIRING: This is a versatile pairing wine—we love it with fresh salads, grilled scallops, and nearly any selection of cheeses.

ABV: 14.1%

AGING: 8 months in 32% new French oak; 13% malolactic fermentation

Ratings & Reviews:

93 Points - James Suckling: